Unbroken
by SheWolf13
Summary: Kim's life has slowly been falling apart for years. Will the bite of a rogue werewolf destroy her...or save her?
1. Ch 1 Broken

_This is my first Fan Fiction story, so I hope you enjoy. Reviews welcome, the good and the bad! And a big thank you to _**SuperNatural1985**_, for all your help and your amazing stories that inspired me to write this._

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. The Otherworld and all its characters belong to Kelley Armstrong.

Ch 1 Broken

All I hade ever wanted was to go home. It had been my dream and obsession for the past seven years and now that any chance of realising it had vanished before my eyes all I could do was mourn the loss of my hopes and dreams. It had been one chance at starting a new life away from my parents and the aches that living here gave me.

Abbey, my best friend and sister in all but blood, stared at me with disbelieving eyes and only then did I realize that I had shown more of myself than I ever had with her. She had glimpsed this side of me before, the broken me, but I had always tried hard to hide it from her, not wanting to worry her anymore than she already did.

"Why didn't you say anything? I could have helped you, Kim. You know I would have," she said, sounding more than a little hurt. I couldn't blame her. She had asked me on numerous occasions in the past two weeks what was wrong and I'd just shrugged her off every time. I knew that what hurt her the most was that I hadn't trusted her with this, but I don't think she understood just how alone I felt most of the time.

"I just needed to do this alone, hun. I needed to know that I could take care of my self, but I obviously…can't," I said softly, almost choking on the last word. I bit my lip hard to stop more tears from falling but it was no use. They fell mercilessly and Abbey quickly moved her chair over to me, taking me in her arms and comforting me like I had comforted her so many times before.

My eyes hurt the moment I started crying since I had spent the entire day doing so. That morning I had made sure that my dreams wouldn't come true, at least not for a while. The result was a tear filled morning which only got worse when my mother got home and yelled at me like she never had before.

All I had ever wanted from the moment my mother forced me to move to the States with her and her new husband was to go back home, to go back to Australia. I didn't fight, though. I knew it was pointless. From an early age I had learned that any argument with my mother only left you battered and broken. At first it had been easy to stand back up and go another round with her, but now I just stayed down. In fact, it had been years since we'd had a real argument. They only one that did the arguing was her. All I did was wait until she had deflated and then I would leave to go break down in my room, being careful that she or anyone else didn't hear me.

Since I couldn't go back being a minor I waited for my chance when I became of age. The problem was I had no money, at least not enough. My stepfather had shipped me to Spain with his brother to work in the ambos as an EMT for which you only needed and eighty hour course to do. But once I had started earning money, my parents stopped paying for my things, like clothes and such, so I had to pay it with my money.

The problem was that even if I had had money, I would have had a very hard time trying to convince my parents of letting me go. When I told them that I wanted to go to uni in Australia, my mother blew a gasket and my stepfather broke me down into a million tiny pieces. A lot of things were said in that conversation, none which left me feeling any better about myself than I already did. One thing had been made clear, though. They weren't going to help me go back.

I took a gap year—to my parents' eternal disappointment—and applied to uni here in Michigan but also in Australia and started looking for work. When I didn't find anything, I fell into a depression that had been building up until now. I had been watching as my dream came undone and it only got worse when I was rejected from uni here and accepted in Australia. I got the letter of acceptance two weeks ago and not a day had passed without me breaking down. I always had to make sure no one heard me, though. That would just make them ask questions I would rather not answer for fear of the consequences. Plus, I doubted they really cared if I was crying anyway.

"We should go," I croaked after a while, trying hard to not think of all the things my mother had said to me that morning when she had walked in on me when I was deferring to the uni. It was so bad that I had left home and hadn't been back for six hours. I'd called Abbey as soon as I walked out the door and she had been by my side not twenty minutes later, skipping out on school and waiting all day for me to finally tell her what had happened. She had no idea how much that gesture meant to me.

"I'm not leaving until I know you're okay, Kim, and you're obviously not okay," she said firmly, pulling me tighter against her. I whimpered slightly despite myself and pulled back away from her, pushing her soaked curly hair back and rubbing my sore eyes.

"I'll be okay, hun, I promise. But I won't be for a while," I murmured and looked around at our coffee shop, inwardly smiling as I remembered why we had chosen this as our place to meet. It was our personal joke. Why do they sell tea at a coffee shop?

Abbey didn't look convinced of my words and honestly neither did I. I was lucky my stepfather was away for work or this morning would have been much worse, if that was even possible. But he would be back tomorrow. I bit my lip to stop more tears from falling at the thought of what awaited me tomorrow and stood. Abbey followed suit and quickly embraced me once more, whispering that everything would be okay and that she was here for me. All I could with nod since I couldn't trust myself to utter a comprehensible word without sobbing.

After one last reassurance, she let me go and started heading towards the door, glancing back to make sure I was following her. Normally, I was the one watching out for her. It had been like that ever since we met. She had been a mess and I had been an even bigger mess, but I helped her through her troubles and became the older sister she had always wanted and never had.

She opened the door to the shop and stepped out to the cold October night. I quickly followed her, still wiping at my eyes, and didn't see the large body I barrelled into. I stumbled back with an apology but felt someone grip my arm, hard. I glanced up, blinking back the tears that still threatened to fall, and met an icy cold gaze.

"You okay?" the guy asked, his eyes never straying from mine. I nodded and looked away from him, just wanting to get out of here. The guy was cute, I'd give him that, with light brown hair that fell into his eyes and strong features, but I just couldn't bring myself to take an interest in guys in the state I was in.

I made to walk past him and to Abbey who was waiting for me just outside the door, but the guy still had a firm grip on my arm. I tried to pull away, but he held me tight, clearly not perturbed by the fact that everyone in the coffee shop was staring at us. I looked up into his eyes, intending to ask him to let him go, but his gaze was so possessive that I was left speechless.

"Sorry," he suddenly said and let go of my arm, taking a step back. "I thought you were someone I know." I didn't even have the strength to care about what had just happened and just walked out the door. Abbey muttered something about a perve but then fell silent, lost in her thoughts and me in mine until it was time for us to part.

"Call me tomorrow, Kim," she ordered. "I swear if you don't, I'll break down the door to your house," she threatened now and I was glad that I hadn't told her just how badly off I had been for the past few weeks or she would have been dragging me to her place right about now.

"Okay, I promise," I said softly and she hugged me, holding me tightly against her. I leaned my head against her shoulder, whispering a goodbye and then turned down my street before the water floods broke loose again.

Slowly, I made my way back home, dreading the moment I had to face my mother again. She would yell of course, she always yelled. She had never, as far as I remembered, tried to rein in her anger. She gave it free rein and my sister Camille and I had had to live with that for our entire lives.

I walked past a clothes store and spotted my reflection in the glass. I stopped in my tracks and stared at myself, taking in my puffy and red eyes. I looked worse than normal. I wasn't ugly—at least I didn't think so, despite what I had been told for years. I just looked different. I had a large mix of bloods in my genetics. South American from my other's side and Spanish, French and Italian from my biological father's side. I looked most South American, though, with olive coloured skin, dark wavy brown hair and dark eyes, but I still had a European look to my features. Still, I wasn't beautiful, far from it.

Ever since I had arrived to the States I had started to overeat. Not much, but enough to give me the extra weight that brought out my butt and large hips, though most of my weight concentrated down on my legs, making them chubby and ham looking. The fact that I was small didn't help matters.

I turned away from my reflection, not wanting to look at myself a moment longer, and started down the streets again, wishing I could be anywhere else but here in Holland, Michigan. The cold night air just made me miss my home all the more. It was rarely ever cold there with the sun in the sky almost all year round.

My heart ached with longing for the home I had lost and I quickened my pace until I found an empty street and collapsed against a wall. It was late, very late, and I had only seen a couple of people since I'd left Abbey, so no one saw me break down. I cried and hiccupped into the night, feeling like I had reached the point of no return. I had no idea what would happen to me now, but as far as I was concerned all I could see was pain and hurt in my future.

Some time later—I had no idea how much had passes since I'd come undone—I heard a noise from somewhere in front of me. I snapped my head up and found myself face to face with a monster. I gasped and pressed myself against the wall behind me and took another look at what stood before me. It was a dog, the largest I had ever seen, but what made it a monster were the eyes. They looked almost human and were an icy blue colour that had chills running down my back.

I stayed absolutely still as the dog stared at me and sniffed the air around me. I held back the fear as I tried not to think about how the dog was able to look down on me. Even if I was standing, he would be able to reach my shoulders, I was sure. He was an effing big dog.

I forced myself to stop thinking about the dog's size and to think about how to get away from the dog. But before I could think of anything, the dog bent down to my hand that was on my lap. I tried to pull it away but it was too late. The dog bit down hard and I gasped in pain. The dog pulled back and stared at me, cocking his head to the side as if he was listening to something.

Suddenly, the dog turned around and ran. I stared after it as it ran down the street and disappeared from view. I looked down at my hand and saw the puncture wounds, blood trickling down my hand. I quickly put pressure to them and let more tears fall. Could my day get any worse?

"Are you okay, hun?" I suddenly heard and looked up to see someone standing before me, but I could barely see them through my blurry vision. I wiped the tears away with my good hand and saw a tall woman standing before me. I quickly stood up and realized that she was a least a good six inches taller than me. She wore her long blonde hair in a ponytail and her blue eyes were watching me as if she was searching for something. I also saw something else, something animal like in her eyes, but I couldn't be sure.

"I'm fine," I said just as I saw her nostrils flare. I made to move past her, but she grabbed me by my arm and lifted the hand up so she could see it. Her eyes turned hard suddenly and then turned her gaze on me. "It's just a bite," I said, shrugging, more than a little perturbed by the woman's touching.

I started to pull my hand back when suddenly my knees gave way beneath me and my world swayed around me. I tumbled down and felt myself being caught by strong arms before blackness enveloped me.


	2. Ch 2 Caged

Ch 2 Caged

Pain ran through my body and it didn't seem like it was going to go away anytime soon. Every inch of my body hurt, from head to toes. My head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it. I groaned, or tried to, at least, but my throat was drier than the Sahara Desert. I tried to open my eyes but the lids felt as if each had doubled in size and now weighed a ton. With the little strength I possessed and all of my will power, I forced my eyes open. I was staring at a grey cement wall. Definitely not my room. Where the hell am I?

The last thing I remembered was walking out of the apartment after an argument with mum. I'd met up with Abbey, and then…Shit. The dog. The bloody dog had bitten me. And the woman. There had been a blond woman there, but I couldn't remember anything after.

I needed to get up, to know where in the hell I was. But I still hurt, so I carefully turned myself over, so I was lying on my back. As I twisted, I caught the smell of chemicals, but the smell was strong, really strong, and the scent of bleach was abnormally refined among the others. Was I in a hospital?

As I turned my body around, I saw something that chilled me to my very core. Bars, on my left hand side, like a cage. My cage. Oh, god. What kind of hospital is this? Was the dog sick or something? Had it infected me with something? I lifted my left hand, ignoring the pain that the movement sent up my arm, and looked at the wounds where the beast had bitten me. I gasped.

The last time I'd seen the wounds they were barely any more swollen than when my cat, Simba, bit or scratched me. But now they were the size of tiny Easter eggs. Crap. I lifted my right hand to touch the swollen wounds, and felt the heat they radiated. Definitely infected. This was so not good.

I felt fear start up inside of me but I kept it at bay. I needed to concentrate on getting up and speaking to the doctor, or whoever was in charge here. I slowly pulled myself up, but still felt a pang of pain in my head. I lifted my uninjured hand to my head and touched my forehead with its backside. I had a fever. Goddamn it.

I looked down at my battered clothes and saw blood on my jeans. The wounds hadn't bled much, so where did that come from? I looked at my apricot colored tank top and found a few specks of blood.

Before I could ponder it some more, I heard a door open at the top of the staircase, on the left hand side of the room I was in, something I had failed to notice before. I had been too engrossed in the bars. Suddenly, a batch of scents reached me, most of them food. The smells made me realize just how I hungry I was. How long have I been here? Why was I downstairs, in a room that looked a lot like a basement? Do hospitals have basement for very sick patients? Somehow that didn't seem right, not right at all.

I forced my legs towards the edge of the singe bed, the movement sending another jolt of pain up my body. God, that hurt. But I ignored the pain and placed my bare feet on the cold cement floor.

I looked around at the room and discovered a weight set in the far corner to the right. What kind of hospital had weights in the basement? There was even a punching bag. Strange. Stranger still was the fact that I could make out the labels on the weights, telling me how much each one weighed. I was short-sighted, so there was no way I should be able to read that all the way from here.

The fear inside me started up again, but I forced it back down as I heard footsteps start making their way down the stairs. Only the sound seemed sharper, more refined. I was able to make out three different footsteps. One set was louder than the other two, _heavier_, but there was still a difference of weight between the owners of the other two, they just weren't as heavy as the owner of the first set of footsteps.

I shook my head, trying to clear my ears, but just sent another wave of pain through my head. As the footsteps neared, I forced down my fear so I wouldn't panic or have a breakdown in front of the doctors. I needed to stay calm and ask them what was going on.

The man that appeared, though, was not what I was expecting, far from it. With short curly blond hair, beautiful blue eyes and traffic stopping good looks, he looked like he should be staring in Hollywood's next superhero movie. He had the body for it, as well, with broad shoulders and a well built body that stood at 6 ft tall. His eyes, however, were assessing me, not with interest, but with caution, and maybe even worry.

They man beside him, however, looked more like the doctors I'd met, with a serene face that gave away no emotion. Not even his black eyes which slanted slightly at the ends, betraying his Asian heritage. His black hair, though, almost reached his shoulders, his bangs clouding his face. Not a look many doctors took on. He wasn't wearing a robe or anything to peg him as a one, either. He was slightly taller than the blond bloke and he was much leaner than him, but I could see that he was muscled too, just not as much as the superhero.

My eyes then fell on my last visitor. I almost gasped. Almost. It was the woman that had talked to me after the dog bite. Had she been following the dog? Had she known it was infected and was trying to capture it? Shit. I was starting to panic, but my face betrayed nothing. I needed to stay calm, damn it. I didn't know anything yet, so I needed to relax. At least until I knew what was going on.

In front of me, the black haired man moved towards the weight set, grabbed a stool and placed it about eight feet away, his eyes never leaving me. He sat without saying a word and face me, making it look like we were about to have a cuppa, if it weren't for the bars between us. The woman strode towards me and held out a glass of water. As I slowly got up from the bed to grab the glass, the blonde man, who was standing just behind the other man, like a superhero bodyguard, tensed. I ignored him, grabbed the glass, and quickly sat back down before my knees gave way. I still hurt but the pain had subsided somewhat.

Only once I had hit the bed again, did I smell it. A scent that I had never smelt before that came from the woman. I tensed and didn't even think about what I did next. I growled. The blonde man inched forward but I barely noticed him. I sat there horrified at what I'd just done. Had I just growled? I could feel a part of me telling me to do it again, but I ignored it. What the hell was wrong with me?

The woman turned and stood by the Asian man's right hand side, as if she hadn't even heard me. The only one that had even acknowledged the horrible sound that had come from me was the superhero, who had now relaxed when the woman had taken her place on the right hand side of the stool. I drained my glass without thinking and looked back at my visitors. The black haired man was the first to speak.

"What is your name?" he asked. Yeah, right, like you don't already know. I didn't have my jacket with me, where my ID card had been so they must have it. But I answered anyway, since they were going to try and help me. I think.

"Kimberly. Kimberly Anne Vera," I said, using my biological father's name, since, technically, it was my legal name no matter how much my mother complained. The thought brought up an issue I hadn't even considered yet. My parents. Shit

"Where am I? Does my mother or stepfather know I'm here?" I kept my voice calm, but I was panicking inside. Just what I needed. Another fucking reason to fight with my mother about, not to mention my stepfather.

"No, they don't," said the Asian man with a slight change in his voice. Worry? Guilt? I couldn't even be sure there had been a change. His face still didn't give anything away. God, he was good at hiding his feelings, even better than me. "Kimberly, do you remember what happened the other night?"

The other night? How long have I been out? But I didn't say any of that, or the panic would have been visible. "Yeah, I got bit by a dog. A big dog. The last thing I remember is talking to her," I said and pointed at the woman.

She smiled at me and said, "I'm Elena, hun, and this is Jeremy and Clayton." She pointed to each of the men in turn. So, the superhero was called Clayton? Funny, the only other guy I knew that was called Clayton was the bad guy from Tarzan. Figures.

I ignored the introductions. "Why don't my parents know? Where am I?" I repeated my first question, just realizing they still hadn't answered it. Frustration and fear were building up strongly within me and I was having a hard time keeping them back. Bars, a cage and three strangers could do that I guess.

"I will answer all your questions later on, but first you need to tell me how you're feeling," Jeremy said with the same calm voice most people use to talk to stubborn children. Great. I had also sensed something else in his voice, though, authority, and a part of me was telling me to back down and do as I was told.

"I feel like shit," I snapped. Damn it. I didn't mean to say that. My emotions rarely got the better of me in front of strangers, my experience teaching me that they would judge you no matter what you did. Still, there was something inside of me that was growing with anger and I was struggling to control it, whatever it was. "I mean, I hurt. Everything hurts."

Jeremy nodded, ignoring my outburst, and Elena looked sympathetic. She said, "It will be over soon, hun."

"But what's wrong with me? Was the dog sick or something?" I didn't know how much longer I would be able to keep the panic and fear at bay. They were growing larger with each passing minute. My left arm started to itch, but I dismissed it, keeping my focus on the people in front of me and the situation at hand.

"You've been unconscious for two days. You were infected, and your body has been adapting to the infection." Elena paused before continuing. "It wasn't a dog that bit you. It was a wolf."

"A wolf?" I repeated incredulously. What the hell was a wolf doing in downtown Holland, Michigan? "Wait, shouldn't my body be fighting the infection?" Why the hell was it adapting to it? That's not how it was supposed to work! The fear started up inside of me again, multiplying its size, breaking through my defenses like wildfire.

The itching in my left arm intensified and started spreading to my shoulder and hand. I looked down at my hand and saw it shimmer, the skin moving slightly. What the hell? Was the infection causing me to hallucinate? The fear was expanding through me in waves and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Kim," I heard Jeremy say, but I could barely hear him over the pounding of my heart. "Kim, look at me." He said this with such authority that I felt obliged to obey. This just scared me all the more.

I looked up at him, he was now standing before me, leaning against the bars, and I saw worry in his dark eyes, but his voice retained the air of command. "You have to calm down. We're not going to hurt you. If you don't relax you'll accelerate the infection and you may not survive."

Okay. I can do this. I've done it a thousand times before. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, just my breathing. In, out. In, out. It seemed to take forever, but I finally relaxed and the beating of my heart grew fainter.

"Well done," said Jeremy, taking a small step back, his eyes watching me intently. "You're very in control of your emotions."

I almost flinched at the assessment, but I just replied, "Not really." I hated that he'd been able to see this. No one had ever noticed that I hid my emotions. How had this man, that didn't even know me, seen the me I had kept hidden from the world for as long as I could remember? Still, I kept my face impassive, not letting him glimpse any more than he already had. I had hid my emotions from everyone at home to make sure they didn't know how bad a state I was in. They probably wouldn't have cared, but them finding out might have started fights I knew I would have rather avoided.

"What's happening to me?" I asked quietly. Whatever I had, it couldn't be good. If I was having hallucinations, the infection was well advanced.

Jeremy sat back down on his stool and, as he did, Elena and Clayton moved back to their places, having moved forward with Jeremy, as if to protect him. Or maybe they had been worried as well?

Jeremy studied me for a whole minute before answering, his tone dead serious. "You're becoming a werewolf."


	3. Ch 3 Wolf Instincts

_I'd love to hear some opinions guys! How are you liking the story so far?_

_I'd also like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, __The Way to Live__, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the pack. _

Ch 3 Wolf Instincts

Kimberly's POV

I stared at Jeremy, praying that I had heard wrong, but knowing I hadn't. I looked up at Elena and Clayton, searching for the hidden joke in their faces, since Jeremy's betrayed nothing, but they looked serious. Way too serious.

"You're kidding, right?" I tried to laugh, but their solemn expressions cut me short. "Is this some kind of joke that's supposed to make the truth sit better or something?"

"This isn't a joke, Kimberly," Jeremy said as calmly as if he was talking about the weather, "and I can prove it."

Yeah right. "Please. Just tell me what's wrong with me. I can handle whatever the truth is. I need to know. Please." I just wanted to know the truth, was that to much to ask?

"I've already told you the truth, Kimberly. You're becoming a werewolf. The wolf that bit you was in fact a werewolf by the name of Justin Turner. He has bitten many girls with appearances similar to yours, but you are the first to have lived this long after the bite. Most didn't survive the first 24 hours." Jeremy said with an air of patience one normally saves for stubborn children. What's worse was the fact that he looked like he actual meant, and believed, what he was saying, as if this was the worst diagnostic a patient could have. I searched his face for a telltale sign that he was pulling my chain but to no avail. He actually believed he was telling the truth. Shit.

"You're a frickin' lunatic!" I didn't bother hiding my frustration when I spoke. Why the hell would the doctors let these people come see me? Unless I wasn't in a hospital and they had taken me from the street when the dog, _wolf_, bit me. "Where am I? You have no right to hold me here, wherever here is, without my consent or my parents'."

Jeremy barely even blinked. "You're safe, and that's what matters at the moment." Like hell. Before I could protest, Jeremy continued. "At the moment you are in the process of adapting to the werewolf bite. It's like an infection, only your body cannot fight it. It can only try and adapt and yours is adapting quite well. Your sense of smell has already become more refined and your wolf instincts have already kicked in, thus your earlier reaction to Elena's scent."

Wolf instincts? This guy really did have kangaroos loose up in the top paddock, and so did his mates if they were going along with his delusion. Damn. I needed to get out of here.

"Why should I believe you?" I asked, not really knowing what I was doing, just buying time while I figured out how to use their delusions against them.

Not missing a beat Jeremy answered, "Because I'm telling the truth." Bullshit. After watching _The Matrix,_ I knew the truth could be distorted by reality and, apparently, this guy's reality wasn't the same as mine.

Before I could come up with a response to his answer, Jeremy got up and knelt in front of me, putting his arm through the bars. I got a whiff of a scent, then, with an underlying smell similar to Elena's. Only the urge to growl was faint compared to the urge to hide under a rock. As soon as the smell hit me, I jumped back on the bed and pulled my legs up, trying to look small. Why? I have no fricking idea.

The jolt had sent another wave of pain through my still aching body but I pushed it aside as I remembered what Jeremy had just said. _Wolf instincts_. No. It was impossible. My brain could not even begin to fathom what that would mean for me or my world.

I forced myself out of those thoughts, and noticed that Jeremy was still on the floor, not having moved an inch, seemingly unsurprised by my actions. Maybe I was going mad. It would definitely explain the cage, but then Jeremy would definitely have to be in here with me. Unless being sane meant you were crazy in Jeremy's world.

I compelled myself to move forward and put my feet down on the cold floor again, although I could still feel a part of me that was screaming for me to back down. The same one that had made me growl at Elena. _Wolf instincts._

Before I could tell myself off for even considering Jeremy's delusions as true or real, Jeremy closed his eyes, with a slight frown on his brow, as if in concentration. What the hell is he doing? But then my eyes fell on the arm he had put through the bars. It was shimmering, just like mine had only moments before when I'd felt the wall of fear collapse. No, I'd imagined that, it wasn't real! But Jeremy's arm continued to shimmer and I saw it start to contract. The hairs on his arm and hand started growing longer and longer, and more sprouted, while the hand and arm continued to twine and narrow. I don't know how long I sat their watching Jeremy's arm deform, but it seemed like forever. Then it all stopped.

I blinked hard to make sure I was seeing right but only managed to send another jolt of pain through my head. It couldn't be…it's fucking impossible! But there was no denying what I was looking at. I couldn't take my eyes off of Jeremy's hand, only it was no longer a hand, but a black haired paw. Like that of a large dog. Or a wolf.

No! I had to be dreaming. But I knew I wasn't the moment I thought it. The pain I felt was too real for me to be dreaming. So, was I drugged? No, I was thinking to clearly for that. Wasn't I?

I looked at Jeremy, who had been watching me for a reaction, and noticed Clayton and Elena closely behind him. I hadn't even realized they'd moved forward with Jeremy again, as if they had to protect him or something. "You can touch it if it'll convince you that you're not hallucinating," Jeremy said.

I wanted to say no, I really did. I wanted him to know that I had not fallen for his delusions but I needed to prove to myself that I was hallucinating. Hopefully, I would feel warm skin when I touched him and the illusion would shatter.

I slowly pushed myself forward, ignoring the pain that ran through me. As I approached Jeremy, Clayton tensed slightly, as if I was going to attack Jeremy and he was going to swoop in and save the day. As soon as my hand made contact with the hand/paw, I jumped back and fell on the bed, the pain making me gasp, but I barely registered it. My hand had not touched warm skin; at least, it hadn't felt like skin. In fact, it felt exactly like a paw should feel. The touch could be compared to touching the paw of a dog. No, not a dog. A wolf.

No! But it was too late. My brain had already reached this conclusion with logic and reason, my best allies throughout my entire life, and there was no denying it. It was a conclusion made deductively, taking in all the information and forming the logical conclusion. Of course, there was still a chance I was hallucinating and imagining all of this, but I balked at it. No matter how ugly or painful the truth was, I had always accepted it. Today would be no exception. If I chose to believe I was hallucinating, it would be like taking the blue pill instead of the red one.

I looked back at Jeremy's paw but it was a hand again, my brain finally registering that he was a…werewolf. What about his mates? Then I remembered the same underlining smell Elena and Jeremy shared, my brain making the connection before I even realized it. She must be one too, and superhero Clayton probably was too, although I still hadn't caught a whiff of his scent. A part of me still balked at the thought of werewolves and scents, but it was faint. I had already taken the red pill.

I pulled my gaze away from Jeremy's hand and looked up at his face. He was assessing my robotic face, trying to figure out what I was thinking I suppose, but I knew my face gave away nothing. I looked straight into Jeremy's eyes and said, knowing there was no turning back now, "I believe you."

Jeremy studied me for a moment before nodding and saying, "I know this is difficult for you, Kimberly, and I know you will have a lot of questions, but your body needs to finish the process, so you should rest. I know you're probably hungry too, so I'll send Clay back down with food and he'll watch over you." He paused before continuing, "I hope to have you out of the cage by tomorrow night, but I can't let you out until the process has finished. You could Change without warning and hurt yourself or anyone near you."

"Change?" I asked, even though I thought I already knew what he meant. I had seen him _change_ only moments before.

"It's when you transform from human to wolf. As you have already seen, we change into full wolves, not those creatures that appear in Hollywood movies. However, I promise you that we're going to help you get through this, Kimberly. We will help you control the Changes and look after you."

A sudden doubt flooded my mind, igniting the fear I was barely keeping at bay, but forced it back, I had to. "Why do you want to help me?" I could hardly believe that these people, these _werewolves_, just wanted to help me for nothing in return. Everyone wanted recompense for the good they did, so if they helped me they would want something in return.

I had directed my question at Jeremy, but it was Elena who answered. "We would never leave anyone on the street after a werewolf bite. It's extremely dangerous. Besides, a bitten werewolf on the street wouldn't live to see a full year. They would either lose control of their Changes and start killing humans, calling attention to themselves, or they would encounter another werewolf and get killed." She smiled at me. "We won't let that happen to you."

I nodded, she hadn't really answered my question and that didn't make me feel any better. The way she put it, though, they were helping me because it was the right thing to do. From my experience no one ever did that, there was always a catch.

Jeremy stood then and said, "I know there are still many things we need to discuss and that you have a lot of questions, but you need to rest now. Clay will be right back with the food." He said this with a hint of his previous authority. I nodded as he added, "We'll see you tomorrow, Kimberly."

"Good night, hon," said Elena as she turned to leave behind Jeremy, throwing me a sympathetic smile before Clayton followed her up the stairs.

As soon as they left, I felt myself relax. I hadn't even noticed how tense I had been, but the cramp between my neck and right shoulder meant I'd been tense for a while. Probably because I'd just been surrounded by werewolves and instinct had made me react without me even realizing. _Wolf instincts_.

I sighed out loud, a luxury I could now afford since I was alone. I still didn't completely understand why I'd accepted the existence of werewolves as easily as accepting the fact that the world is round. It seemed to be the simplest answer deduced by all the information I had seen and heard from Jeremy, so it seemed like the correct answer to me.

I smiled in spite of myself, remembering when I had first heard about the principle of Occam's razor. We were watching contact in class and I had been having a very depressing day, so upon hearing the principle I had almost laughed out loud, knowing that the solution to my problems was anything but simple.

I heard someone start coming down the stairs, someone with very heavy footsteps. Clayton. He walked into the basement holding a tray of food, which I could smell all the way from my cage. The smell of meat making my mouth water and I remembered that I hadn't eaten in two days.

Clayton unlocked the cage door and walked in, laying the tray on the bed. As he did, I caught his scent and recognized the smell of a werewolf, just like Elena's and Jeremy's. Again, instinct told me to hide, but I just looked at the floor under my feet trying to look small again, being _submissive_. I cringed at the thought but instinct told me it was the right thing to do, so I did.

"Thank you," I said softly, speaking to the floor. Clayton turned around by the cage door. I looked up as he nodded and walked out locking the door. For a superhero, he didn't seem to like to talk much. If there was one thing I had admired about superheroes, it was their uncanny ability to talk non stop while the bad guys had them captured, thinking they can convince the bad guy that what he was doing was _wrong._ Then, of course, the superhero ends up saving the damsel in distress, making women look about as useful as tits on a bull.

I looked down at my food and stared. There was enough food on the tray for three people to have their fill, there was no way I was going to be able to eat all of this. Just then my stomach growled, making me wince at the pain. Okay, so maybe I could.

As I pulled my legs up from the floor, my gaze fell to the blood stain on my jeans again. I stared at it, still wondering where it had come from. I was about to dismiss it when I heard, "You hit me."

"Sorry?" I said, looking up at him, sitting in the corner by the weights. Surely that Deep Southern drawl had not come from Super Wolf Man.

He rolled his eyes before answering, as if I was too thick to understand what he was talking about. "I said, you hit me." Yep, there was no denying the drawl. There was a country superhero in the house. Sorry, a country werewolf superhero. Awesome. When I didn't answer or jump to the conclusion I was obviously too stupid to see, he said, "When I was getting you out of the car to bring you into the house, you wouldn't stop moving, and you ended up taking a swing at my nose. Hence the blood." Ah, so that's what he was getting at. He could have just said so.

"I'm sorry," I said, hoping that's what he wanted or expected from me.

"Why? You didn't do it on purpose." Nice. A superhero jerk. Or maybe he was just speaking his mind, who knows?

I turned my gaze away from him and started eating, not really caring if I could trust these people, I was way too hungry for that. Before I even realized, I had eaten everything on the tray and drained the bottle of water, which had tasted a bit funny. Maybe it was tap water, but I was so thirsty I didn't really care. I looked at the empty tray and knew I should be wondering how I'd managed to eat so much food, but I couldn't summon the energy to think. My eyelids suddenly felt like weights had been attached to them, pulling them down.

I lowered the tray to the floor and saw Clayton reading in the corner, but before I could read the title, I fell back on the bed and was asleep within seconds.

Antonio's POV

I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, going to make myself a snack, having just put the kids in bed. They knew there was a guest in the house and that they were not allowed in the basement. Other than that they knew nothing.

As I made myself a snack, I tried to listen to the conversation going on downstairs without success. I had wanted to be down there with Jeremy, but he had put me in charge of the children from the moment the girl came through the door, taking them upstairs and distracting them while the other took care of her. It had been difficult at first, since they knew something was wrong and they didn't like being left out. Once they figured out that they weren't getting any answers they gave up, but every now and then they tried to make us cave.

I finished the two sandwiches I had made myself and lowered my head to my hands. How could this have happened? How could one mutt have caused so much trouble? Why hadn't the Pack been able to stop him? Now four families were mourning the loss of their daughters, while another one was probably mobilizing the entire Michigan police force to look for their missing daughter. That's the least I would do if one of my four boys went missing. Hell, I would move a mountain if I had to. I missed my boys, though I'd only been gone for little more than two days. Max still needed me, but not as much as before He had learned to rely on Nick and the other boys a lot more since he had gotten better.

I sighed as I pulled myself up, hating to just sit here and wait for the others to come back up. Jeremy had sensed, although he said he had heard, Kimberly wake up and decided to go down and try to calm her down a bit. Also, he was going to assess her mental stability when he told her about the werewolves. Elena had taken a year to fully understand what she was, and even longer to accept it.

I got up and cleaned the plate I had used, more to do something with myself than out of respect for my Alpha. I had come to Stonehaven the moment he called me, leaving Nick in charge of the boys. He had said that Turner had bitten another girl and that they were bringing her in. Jeremy hadn't expected her to live, since she didn't possess the body of strength Elena had had when she was bitten, and the other girls hadn't lived beyond the 24 hours. Kimberly had. She still had to survive her first Change, but Jeremy was now convinced that she would, and was already making plans for her future, including a very possible incorporation into the Pack.

Outside of Stonehaven, only Nick and I knew what was happening here. We hadn't told the boys yet, not really knowing what their reactions would be. They were young and their actions were still greatly ruled by their instincts. It had taken them months to get used to Elena's scent, and who knew what would happen when they smelt another younger female werewolf.

I suddenly heard footsteps coming up the stairs, three pairs of footsteps. Obviously Kimberly wouldn't be able to come out of the cage yet. If she Changed when she still wasn't ready, emotionally or psychologically, she would most likely hurt herself or anyone in the near vicinity. I hated having her down there, treating her like an animal, but I knew it was necessary. She would need to learn control and she would. I would make sure of it myself if I had to.

"Well?" I asked as soon as Jeremy appeared through the door. I was normally very patient but the whole situation had me on edge. It was a situation the likes of which the Pack had not had in over twenty years, since Clay had bitten Elena, but the circumstances couldn't be any more different.

Jeremy sat down and took a moment before answering, "She is a very intelligent and a strong young woman. She's already accepted the existence of werewolves and our helping her."

"Or she could just be stupid," said Clayton. I frowned at him as he prepared a tray of food. Kimberly would be hunger after two days without eating and with the strength of her metabolism growing.

"But how did she take it?" I asked, turning back to Jeremy. For some reason I needed this girl to be okay. I had only seen her twice while she was unconscious, but she had looked so small, so helpless, that I took to her immediately. I already felt the need to take her under my wing and help her, just like I had with Reese, Noah and Max. But this was different, she was different.

"She didn't believe me at first, called me a lunatic, but after seeing the partial Change, it didn't take her very long to see the light," he said and his lip had twitched at the thought of being called a lunatic. I tried to gauge his opinion from his face but gave up quickly. Even though we had known each other since he was born and had been best friends for all our lives, there were times when Jeremy shut down the muscles in his face, giving nothing away.

"I still think she could be stupid," said Clayton, making sure that his opinion was heard and understood. I was about to reply but Jeremy beat me to it.

"I don't think so. She hid her emotions fairly well, but she had a calculating look. I believe she was thinking of all the possible explanations for her situation," he paused, giving Clayton a look before continuing, "It takes great courage to accept a truth like the one Kimberly has just accepted. Perhaps you didn't notice Clayton, but Kimberly was asking for the truth, not a diagnostic, per se." Clay just shrugged and took the tray downstairs to Kimberly, where he would stay and watch over her, should she wake again and get scared or worse.

I shook my head slightly as Clayton made his way to the basement. It's not that he didn't care about what happened to the girl, but he was pissed. A mutt had escaped his grasp five times now and had left four dead girls and one newly turned female werewolf in his path. The mutt was smarter than Clay had anticipated and he had managed to get away unscathed every time, something Clay was not used to.

I looked back at Jeremy, but noticed that Elena was staring at the table and still hadn't said a world. "Elena?" I said. She looked up and saw confusion in her eyes. Perhaps the situation was starting to get to her. Elena had only been a year older than Kimberly when she was bitten, and she was being reminded of her own bite, made much worse by the fact that she had been bitten by the love of her life. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"

She stared at the table as she answered, "I just can't believe how quick she was to accept it all. I didn't believe you even after you Changed for me. I couldn't." She looked up at Jeremy with sadness in her eyes.

"I know, Elena, but you and I both know that the situation is entirely different," Jeremy said. "I also believe that she may not have been entirely happy at home. She only mentioned her parents twice, never calling them mom and dad, and the fact that she's able to hide her emotions so well makes me wonder just how often she's had to do so before," Jeremy said, turning back to me, changing the subject. I knew he would talk to Elena later. The situation had affected her more than he had anticipated.

I nodded, not really knowing how to respond to this. I knew Jeremy had told me this because I was very sensitive about bad parents, especially after everything that Max went through, and even Noah's upbringing had made me curse Joey for being an idiot. I wasn't sure what Jeremy had intended by telling me this, but right now I felt like going to her and making sure she was alright and doing everything humanly, and not so humanly, possible to make it all better.

"What are we going to do about her family?" I asked Jeremy. Michigan was too close to New York for us to ignore the fact that she was being looked for, whether or not her parents had cared for her or not.

"We'll have to work something out, but Kimberly will have to call them. At least, to make them stop looking for her." I nodded to this. She wouldn't be able to go home, not for a while, at least. Even after she had her Changes under control, we all knew she wouldn't be able to go back to the life she had before being bitten. It was too dangerous, any mutt could find her, rape her, and then kill her. I clenched my hand at the thought and vowed to myself that I would never let such a thing happen.

"What will happen to her, Jer? What will become of her?" I asked. Elena looked up at Jeremy, then, and I knew she needed to know this as much as I did.

Jeremy studied us for a few moments, and then said, "For now, she will stay here. Elena and I will help her with her Changes and Clayton will take care of her training. Of course, he will need to teach her how to use her smallness to her advantage. After that, though, it's completely up to her"

"I want to help train her," I said before even thinking it through, but once I had I didn't regret it. If I was going to keep my vow then I needed to know she would be able to protect herself. I knew Clayton would teach her well, but I needed to be there.

Jeremy nodded, as if he had expected this. He then turned to Elena and said, "I would like you to spend some alone time with her once her trainings begun. I think it will help her accustom herself to the whole situation and to her new surroundings." Elena just nodded but I knew Jeremy was doing this for both Elena's and Kimberly's benefit.

"When are we going to tell the Pack?" I asked.

"Not yet. We will tell Karl when Kimberly has learnt to control her Changes, but the boys will have to wait. I know it will be difficult keeping the secret at home, but you will need to. When Kimberly is ready, you can tell them and, should she agree to stay with the Pack, bring them here to meet her." I nodded but didn't answer; I knew what Jeremy was thinking. Reese and Noah would be a problem because of Kimberly's scent, but Max, who was less likely to be affected by it and who was stubborn enough to rival Jeremy, wasn't very tolerant of strangers. If Kimberly decided to stay with the Pack, the Max could feel threatened by her presence.

I pushed those thoughts aside, saving them for later. Right now I had to focus on Kimberly and keeping her alive. If helping her train was the way to do it, then, for now, it was what I was going to do.


	4. Ch 4 Out

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, __The Way to Live__, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. _

Ch 4 Out

God, I smell like shit. I opened my eyes, still a bit groggy, even though I'd been awake for a while. I just couldn't bring myself to get up. I'd rethought everything that had happened last night, or morning or whenever it had been, and had come to the same conclusion I had then. I was a werewolf. There was a part of me that purred at the acknowledgment, maybe the wolf in me. It was also the wolf in me that told me I really needed a shower.

I pulled myself up and saw that Clayton was still reading in the corner by the weights. How long have I been out? But then I noticed that he'd changed his clothes. Well, his shirt at least. Yesterday it had been black, today, or whenever it was, it was white. I was about to call a greeting, when I noticed something, or rather the absence of something. I hadn't felt any pain when I had pulled myself up, and my head no longer felt like I had a drum inside it. I blinked hard to confirm it. I smiled to myself. Well, it looks like the process of adaptation is over.

I looked back at Clayton and noticed he was watching me. "Mornin'," I said, but my mouth felt a bit fuzzy. Hmm, odd. Clayton just nodded, not saying a word and went back to his book. "Um, when will I be able to get out of here?" I asked showing as much patience as I could. Clayton didn't even look up. Jerk. I was about to ask with a bit of anger in my voice, but I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, heavy footsteps. Definitely not Jeremy or Elena.

In walked a man with enough muscle to take on Wolverine, the Hulk and Superman all in one, but he was short compared to the other men in the house, well, the only other men I'd seen, about 5 ft 8. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, and had wavy dark hair, similar to my own, with beautiful brown eyes that made my heart stop when I looked into them. I quickly looked away, though, feeling the pull of my wolf instincts telling me to back down from the bigger and older man.

"Nice to see you're awake," he said. I looked back up at him and saw that he was smiling slightly. Okay… "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I said with a bit of fuzziness still in my mouth but I ignored it. Before I could even wonder who the hell the man was, he strode forward and unlocked the door. He didn't come in, however, just stood by the door.

"Why don't you come upstairs and have some breakfast? I'm sure you're hungry and tired of being in the cage," he said with the small smile still playing on his lips. Right, considering everything that had happened to me in the last…um, few days, I wasn't about to follow some handsome looking man to food, no matter how hungry I was. I must have been asleep longer than I thought if I was this hungry after eating an entire tray of food. In any case, I looked over at Clayton, who was now standing slightly behind the man. He didn't seem disturbed by the intruder so he must be with him. I looked back at the handsome man and nodded.

I got up and pulled on my boots, which must have been brought inside while I was asleep, and walked to the cage door. The man stepped back to let me out, and as I passed beside him I caught his scent. The man was a werewolf. I turned to look at him, the wolf in me telling me not to turn my back on the bigger men, but I kept my eyes glued to the floor. Logic, on the other hand, was telling me I should keep my eyes on the threat but I ignored it. If I really was a werewolf, then the _logical_ thing to do was to follow the wolf instincts. For now, at least.

"Kim?" I heard the man say, and looked up shyly, he had used my nickname with a familiarity that filled me with longing. He looked so much like him…I pulled myself together before I lost it. "I'm sorry, I should have presented myself first. My name is Antonio Sorrentino." I nodded and took the hand he had extended. I followed Antonio up the stairs, while Clayton brought up the rear, making me feel like I was in a procession.

As I reached the end of the staircase, I walked into a hallway. The house was big, very big, with a beautiful hardwood floor that reminded me of the house I'd lived in back home in Australia. Antonio turned left and went through the first door we encountered. It was the dinning room, which had an extra large dinning table. How many people lived here exactly? But my attention was caught by something else. There, on the table, were stacks and stacks of pancakes, the smell making my mouth water. Jeremy was sitting at the end of the table sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper. "Good morning, Kimberly. How are you feeling?" he asked, looking up at me.

"Better," I said, repeating what I had said to Antonio, noticing that the fuzziness was evaporating. Thank God. It had felt as if someone had stuffed my mouth with fairy floss, making it difficult to talk and swallow.

"Good. Have some breakfast, and then you may have a shower. Once you've cleaned up, we will answer all of you questions." I nodded, not really agreeing since I couldn't understand why he couldn't answer them now, but he had had that authority in his voice again that I couldn't argue with. Besides, I was really hungry.

I sat down on Jeremy's left hand side, where he had gestured for me to sit, and Antonio sat in front of me, with Clayton sitting down next to me, boxing me in. I was starting to feel like I was still in the cage. Ignoring the uneasiness, I looked back up at Jeremy and he nodded, as if giving me permission to eat. I didn't even bother to ponder over this, I just ate. I was so hungry that I barely noticed what was happening around me as I ate. I knew I was eating much more than I normally did, but I was still so hungry.

When I had finally had my fill, three entire stacks of pancakes, I grabbed my plate and was about to get up, but Jeremy said, "Leave the plate. Clayton will clean up for today. You can go have a shower, Antonio will show you where."

I looked over at Antonio, and noticed he was already standing by the door way. I looked back at Jeremy and said thank you, before I quickly got up and followed Antonio out the door and into the hallway. I wonder where Elena is. Even though I was in a house full of werewolves her presence had made me feel safer, even if she was one too. She had looked so sympathetic the other day.

"You're allowed to talk, Kim," said Antonio, bringing me out of my thoughts. I nodded but still said nothing, because I really didn't have anything to say. Not to him, at least. I heard him chuckle as he led me up a staircase. "Don't you have any questions?" he said, and even though I couldn't see his face, I could hear the smile.

"I thought I was going to get my questions answered later," I said. It seemed that Jeremy called the shots in this house, so if I had to wait, I'd wait. The wolf in me seemed to agree with this. Antonio just chuckled again, but didn't say anything. What was so funny?

At the top of the staircase, he made his way down another hallway. As we walked, I could pick up Clayton, Jeremy and Elena's scents all over the place. I could also pick up two more which also seemed to have the underlining smell of the werewolves but it was fainter. Huh. I knew I should be balking at the fact that I was picking up _people's_ scents but I had already accepted the truth, there was no turning back.

He led me into a room, the guestroom, I guessed, which was painted a sky blue and had a window view to a forest. I forced back the panic at seeing the forest, convincing myself that I'd get my answers later, and followed Antonio to a door on the right hand side of the room. The bathroom, thank the gods.

"When you're ready, go downstairs. We'll hear you come down and come get you, okay?" Antonio said. He looked a bit worried but quickly hid his emotions, and smiled again, but the smile didn't entirely reach his eyes.

"Thank you," I said, and walked into the bathroom closing the door. I waited until I heard Antonio's footsteps recede before moving. As soon as I heard the bedroom door close, I felt myself relax. I had been tense and I had failed to notice again. I was going to have to learn to control that impulse. I could not let them think that I was afraid of them.

I turned to look at myself in the mirror and gasped. Holy shit. I looked down at my body and confirmed that what I saw in the mirror was true. I had lost weight, a lot of weight. So much that my cheeks were no longer chubby, showing delicate features I never knew I had and making my eyes look slightly larger. My eyes. I thought I saw a glint of gold in the dark brown that hadn't been there before, making them more animal like, more wolf like, but it quickly disappeared. And my legs, my ham looking chubby legs, no longer looked like that, but more like Abbey's legs. She'd been a swimmer since a young age and had always had strong muscled legs. Mine weren't muscled but they were about the same size now.

I stripped and turned the shower on, making the water hotter than normal. My muscles would need a lot of tensing out. Once it was ready, I got in and relished the feel of the hot water on my skin. After very bad days at school, I'd have a shower and I'd feel how my problems seemed to wash away with the water. Of course, once I stepped out they were still there. As I turned the water off, I noticed the shampoo, conditioner and soap I had used were all unscented, or so the bottle said. Weird.

I got out of the shower and wrapped myself in the only towel in bathroom. As I dried my face, I caught the smell of chemicals on it. Oh. So that's why the shampoo and soap were unscented. Must be uncomfortable to walk around smelling Pantene with every step you took.

I grabbed my clothes off the floor and walked back into the room, making my way towards the bed, which was made of mahogany, and was enormous. Okay, a queen sized bed, but I had always had a single bed so it was big to my eyes. Not to mention the room, which was almost three times bigger than the room I'd had in Michigan. On the bed were two paper bags. As I got closer to them, I caught Elena's scent. It was on the bags as well.

The bags were filled with clothes. Mostly just jeans and different coloured tank tops, with a few stylish cardigans, but more importantly was the fact that I had brand new underwear in the bags. I wasn't entirely sure why near strangers would go to so much trouble for me, but I needed the clothes, so I'd have to do whatever it was they wanted in return for the clothes and food.

I was putting on my boots when I heard light footsteps make their way down the hall to the bedroom I was in. There was a knock at the door and I waited for whoever had knocked to come in. At least, this person had knocked, at home that had always been a very rare occasion, normally executed by my sister when she wanted to play nice because she wanted to borrow my clothes. However, no one came in. "Um, come in," I said, feeling a bit odd about giving permission in a house that wasn't even mine.

Elena peeked around door, making sure I was dressed, before swinging it open and coming in. "Hey, how are you feeling?" How many more times was I going to be asked the same damn question?

"Better," I repeated. If I normally felt like a robot, then today I was a robot with only a very poor vocabulary. Elena just nodded and seemed to be at a lost at what to say next. I finished doing up my boots, but remained seated on the bed, not really knowing what to do, just passing my fingers through my hair, working out the knots.

"Sorry, I forgot to get a hair brush. I'll see if we can get you one by tomorrow. You ready to go downstairs?" she asked. I just nodded, but she must have been expecting me to say something because she said, "You're allowed to talk, Kim," using my nickname as if we had known each other for years and were good friends.

"I know," I said. It's not that I don't like to talk, I do. It's just that I was so used to hiding my emotions that I had learned to speak less and keep my opinion and doubts to myself. Elena didn't seem too happy with my response, but didn't say anything else as we made our way down the stairs and towards the foyer, which had a beautiful marble floor that made me wonder if I was in some kind of mansion.

Before we reached the foyer, though, we went through a door that led into what looked like a study. It had a large two seated couch and two single ones, and before them was an elegant looking fireplace that looked like it would look warm and inviting when the fire was lit. There was also a book case in the far corner filled with books but I forced myself to look at the people before me. In one of the single couches sat Jeremy, with Clayton standing behind him, and Antonio on the other. Elena led me to the two seated couch and gestured for me to sit down next to her. As I sat, Clayton made his way towards us and took up a place standing behind me. I was starting to get annoyed with him. I still didn't understand why I was so dangerous. Hell, everyone in the room was bigger and taller than me, so somehow I doubted I'd be able to hurt any of them before they overpowered me, and it wasn't like I was stupid enough to try anything, I didn't even want to. I mean, why would I want to hurt the people that were supposed to be helping me?

I looked back at Jeremy but didn't make eye contact for longer than few seconds, the wolf coaching me through the situation.

"Before you ask your questions, Kimberly, I'm going to explain exactly what you've become and what that entrails as best I can. Then, should you still have any questions, you may ask them," Jeremy said, but glanced slightly at Elena and added, "Okay?" I nodded and he began.

I'm not sure how long we sat there for, but by the time Jeremy finished talking I was as stiff as a board and was starting to get a bit hungry. In all that time, Jeremy told me what it meant to be a werewolf. First of all, my senses had been heightened, which I'd already realized, so I could now see, hear and smell better, explaining why my short-sightedness had been cured. I could also see in the dark if there was a source of light. I was physically stronger, gaining the strength of the wolf in me, giving me a heightened metabolism, explaining why I now needed to eat more. As I'd already noticed, I also got the wolf's instincts, although Jeremy said that when I Changed, they would grow and be stronger than the human ones.

He also told me what it meant to be a female werewolf. Apparently, only the sons of the werewolves inherit the werewolf gene, meaning that there were no female werewolves. The only one in existence, up until the day I was bitten, was Elena, at least, that they knew of. Jeremy said that because we were so rare and our scent was like a flame is to the moth for male werewolves, we were always in danger. I just nodded as he spoke, saving my questions until he finished speaking. Elena made a move as if to touch my hand but pulled back, as if unsure if I would accept the touch. I would have, the situation was making me more and more tense by the minute, but I forced myself to relax. I needed to pay attention.

Then, he proceeded to tell me about the Pack, at least, that's what he called it, using the term one uses for wolf packs. He told me the role it played, by keeping the mutts, non-Pack werewolves, in check and if they stepped out of line, he would send his enforcers, Clayton and Elena, to set them straight or eliminate them, if their actions were beyond a good ass kicking. Antonio seemed to cringe when we reached this subject, as if he couldn't believe Jeremy was telling me this but he said nothing.

Lastly, he said, "We would like you to stay with us, Kimberly, under the Pack's protection. We can teach how to control your Changes and help you rein in your impulses." I just nodded. "We are also going to train you. Like I said before, being a female werewolf puts you in danger and therefore you will need to know how to defend yourself whenever you meet a mutt."

"Does that mean that Pack werewolves can control this impulse?" I said, the first question I had asked since he had begun. Jeremy thought about it for a moment before answering.

"We teach every Pack member control over their impulses," he said, not really answering my question. Before I could call him on it though, he said, "Do you agree to stay under the Pack's protection, Kimberly?" Antonio seemed to tense at the question but relaxed the moment I answered.

"Yes," I said, without hesitating. I wasn't stupid, I knew I couldn't do this alone, I needed help, but I knew the help wouldn't come free. "So, does that mean I have to join the Pack?" Jeremy frowned slightly, trying to figure out where the question had come from. "I mean, in exchange for your helping me."

Antonio looked at me wide eyed, even Elena looked shocked but Jeremy kept his composure. "We don't expect anything in return, Kimberly, just respect. You have been bitten against your will and, as I explained before, it would have put the entire Pack at risk if we had left you in Holland on your own. Not to mention, the werewolf that bit you would probably have gone back for you later, and…Well, it's better this way," Jeremy said, pausing for a moment to study me. "We will take care of you and help you control yourself, Kimberly, and should you wish it in the future, you may join the Pack." He was about to continue, but stopped when he looked at Elena. He nodded slightly at her, and Elena turned to me.

"How about we go for a walk? Get some air?" she asked. I nodded a little more enthusiastically than I had intended, but I needed to get out of here. Maybe some fresh air would help me to get my thoughts straight because right now they were flying around in my head, as if I had an internal hurricane.

Elena got up and I followed her to the door without looking at the other men in the room. As we went through the door, I heard heavy footsteps behind us. We both turned to see that Clayton was following us. Elena shot him a meaningful look that I couldn't interpret but it seemed to infuriate Clayton. He then glared at me and turned around walking back into the study. Elena just sighed and continued to walk through the foyer and out the front door.

I stopped in my tracks as I saw the forest and the smells coming from it hit me. It felt as if it was calling to me, luring the wolf in me to it. I shook my head to escape the pull, not totally succeeding. Elena, who had been watching me, said, "The forest is the wolf's home. That's why we live on 500 acres of it." I nodded my thanks and continued to follow her. As we reached the forest, she fell into step beside me, just as the dampness of the air engulfed me.

"Thank you," I said. Elena looked over at me, not sure why I was saying thank you. "For the clothes, for looking after me, even if that did mean putting me in a cage, and, well, for everything."

"Don't mention it, hon," she said smiling. "We'll take care of you as long as you want to stay here or with the Pack." I nodded, accepting that they were telling the truth. They really did want to help me, even if it was just to protect the Pack.

"So, I know you probably need to clear your head a bit, but there are a few things you need to know now that you're going to be staying with us, and, if you'd like, I can give you a female werewolf 101. I know what it feels like to fall into a world where only men exist and it can be a bit much sometimes," she said as we entered a clearing.

"I'd like that and I'd be very grateful," I said trying to smile a bit but not quite managing it. Elena smiled back, but with a real smile, and went to sit down by a tree, and I sat down facing her.

"Okay, first of all, as you noticed, we use many wolf terms, like 'pack', and just like in a wolf pack, we also have an Alpha."

"Alpha? You mean, as in the leader?" I didn't know much about wolves, my sister, Camille, had been the Twilight fan, obsessing over the wolves, not me.

"Kind of. Bet you noticed how sometimes when he speaks you feel the need to obey." I nodded. "That's because the wolf in you knows it has to obey. While your with the Pack everything Jeremy says has to be obeyed, no matter how trivial the matter." Sounded a lot like a dictatorship to me, but I kept my mouth shut. "Also, older Pack members have to be obeyed and respected." She paused.

When she didn't continue, I said, "Elena?" She looked at me and nodded, giving me permission to speak. "Um, how old were you when you were bitten?" She took a moment before answering.

"Twenty," she said. God, she'd only been a year older than me!

"How did you handle it?" I asked, not entirely sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"I didn't. It took me almost a year to fully comprehend what I had become and much, much longer for me to accept it," she said, than looked me in the eyes. "I envy the way you were able to accept it." Envy? This beautiful and confident woman before me was envious…of me? Has the world gone mad?

"It just seemed like the simplest answer," I said, and she smiled.

"Occam's razor?" I nodded. "Not sure if it's really that simple but supposing that the only other option was that you'd gone mad, I would have chosen werewolf existence as well." I smiled at that.

"Now, for female werewolf 101. One, the males will coddle you, even if you aren't Pack, it just is. It took me forever to get used to it. Two, you will need to know how to protect yourself very, very well, but Antonio and Clay will be taking care of that. Three—"

"Won't you be training me?" I asked. It seemed more logical for a female werewolf to be trained _by _a female werewolf.

"Tonio and Clay are the Pack's best fighters. No one can teach you better than them, but if you want I can come to watch."

"I'd like that," I said. I don't know why I was being so honest with Elena. I guess the fact that, possibly, we're the only female werewolves in the world formed a connection between us I hadn't noticed up until now. A sudden thought entered my mind, and I wondered how it hadn't come before, but the whole werewolf thing was flooding my mind keeping everything else out.

"Elena, what day is it today?" She didn't seem to be too happy to have to answer me.

"Sunday." Oh, shit. I was going to be in so much…Wait. I wasn't going to go home. I don't know if I ever could go back. Did I want to? But I pushed those thoughts aside and forced myself onto the problem at hand.

"I have to call my parents. At least, to let them know that I'm okay, but that I'm not going back," I said and was surprised to see that it didn't affect me. I was going to say good bye to my family and I couldn't feel anything, no happiness, no sadness, nothing. Then, I remembered another call I had promised to make. Abbey. That's when the sadness engulfed me. Would I ever see my adopted sister again? Should I ever see her again?

Elena nodded solemnly and was about to say something when we heard someone approaching, the undergrowth crunching under the heavy footsteps. Antonio entered the clearing and came towards us smiling. It seemed like the man had an endless supply of them.

"Sorry, girls," he said, still grinning, "but I have to break up the party." He turned to Elena and said, "Jaime's back."

"Okay," she said, "I'll go get them ready. Can you stay with Kim and bring her back in a bit?" Antonio nodded, but Elena quickly turned to me. "Do you mind if Antonio stays here with you for a moment?" I shook my head without saying anything, the wolf in me cowering under the shadow of the large man. Elena quickly got up and left, leaving me with Antonio.


	5. Ch 5 Twins

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, __The Way to Live__, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. _

Ch 5 Twins

Antonio walked over to where Elena had been and sat down. I hadn't really expected him to. He seemed like a man who would sooner cut off his arm than dirty his expensive clothes with a forest floor. But he sat there and studied me with his smile that I was already growing accustomed to.

"So, has Elena already given you the heads up about Jeremy?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered but remembered that Elena had said that I had to respect and obey the older Pack members so I quickly added, "sir."

He chuckled and said, "Antonio's fine, Kim." He used my name again in such a fatherly way that I instantly knew that he must have kids, well, sons at least. "I can also tell you that you don't need to call anyone 'sir' or 'mister' around here, not even Jeremy."

"Okay…Antonio." That sent another smile to his lips and eyes.

"So, Kim, how long have you been in the States?" he asked.

"Seven years," I answered. I'd spent my entire childhood in Australia, so I still retained most of my accent. My sister, on the other hand, had no accent whatsoever since she'd been younger when we'd left home, I'd been twelve and she had been eight.

"Why did you leave Australia?" he asked and I glued my eyes to the forest floor, focusing on the twigs at my feet. I couldn't let him see the pain in them.

"My stepfather was offered a job here," I said softly, so my voice wouldn't crack from the hurt I was feeling from losing my home, even though eight long years had past. Antonio didn't say anything for a few moments, as if he was digesting what I had just said. I hope he didn't hear the pain.

"What were you studying at university?" he asked next, obviously trying to change the subject. I didn't answer, however, I couldn't. Would I ever be able to go to uni? How could I even possibly plan for a future that was so unsure, I didn't even know what I'd be doing in an hour?

"Kim?" I heard above my head and looked up to see that Antonio had come closer, worry clouding his eyes. Suddenly, I caught his scent and I shrank back, pulling my legs up, cowering away from him.

"Kim, I'm not going to hurt you," he said. A part of me knew I should listen to him, but the wolf wouldn't let me, it was in control. "Kim, listen to me," he ordered and I looked up at him not really meeting his eye. "I won't hurt you. You have to ignore the wolf, sweetheart, push her back, and take back control of yourself. You can do it, just relax, trust me," he said.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to calm down. I could feel the wolf telling me to open them, but I kept them closed and concentrated on my breathing, blocking everything else out. Slowly, very slowly, I relaxed, gaining control over the wolf but it was getting restless and I didn't know if I'd be able to control it next time.

I pushed my legs down and looked back up into Antonio's eyes, worry, and now concern, filled them. He covered my left hand with one of his, where the werewolf bite was already scarred. I looked down to see his olive toned skin clashing with my own. I closed my eyes again, forcing down the feelings that I hadn't felt in a long time. Antonio reminded me so much of _him_. Perhaps for that very reason I shouldn't trust him, but I had to, and, deep down, I knew I needed to.

"Better?" Antonio asked softly, as if he were scared that speaking any louder would scare me away again. His eyes, his face, his entire being projected kindness and affection, something _he_ never had.

"Yes," I said just as softly as him, "thank you." He studied me for a few moments before moving back, sending his scent my way again but I pushed the wolf down. "Elena said you'd be training me," I said, more to fill the silence than because I required information. I didn't know if I could handle any more. With every new piece of information, every reaction and every emotion, my vision of the world blurred and I felt as though, at any moment, the illusion would shatter and I'd wake to find myself in a psych ward.

"Yes, I will, as will Clay," he said, still examining me, as if I was window with a crack running down it that was about to shatter completely. He wasn't far off. "Do you agree?" he asked.

I looked up at him, not sure why he was asking if I agreed or why he even cared. But one look in his eyes showed me he did care, I just couldn't figure out why. However, I didn't let any of my doubts show on my face, I'd even managed to keep it as robotic as ever as I had cowered away from Antonio, but my body had betrayed me. "Elena said that you and Clayton are the best fighters the Pack has, so it doesn't seem like a bad idea," I said truthfully. Honestly, though, I didn't know how such large men were going to be able to help me fight. I wasn't even sure if I could fight, I was so small, always had been. I'd once heard that psychological problems can cause this, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the truth.

"But do you _want_ us to train you?" he asked, speaking softly again.

"Does it matter?" I asked. Why was he even asking me this? It had obviously already been decided, and if the Pack's two best fighters were going to teach me how to fight, then I wasn't about to complain.

"Yes, it does," he said, pausing before he said, "to me." I looked him in the eyes, trying to figure him out. Why did he care so much? He didn't even know me.

"I need to learn how to fight," I said, "and if the best two fighters are going to be teaching me, then why wouldn't I agree?" He seemed to think this through before answering me.

"I just want you to be comfortable, and if Elena training you would make you more comfortable than with us—"

"Why do you care so much?" I said, voicing my earlier thoughts, looking at the floor. I had said it so softly that I hadn't expected him to hear, completely forgetting about his heightened hearing. He said nothing, however, and I didn't dare look up.

"Tonio!" I heard Elena call from somewhere to our right, probably from the house. I couldn't tell, my new hearing abilities making me doubt if what I was hearing came from 10 ft away or 100. Antonio still hadn't said anything, so I chanced a look at him and saw him looking at me but I couldn't read him. Then, without warning, he got up and held out a hand to help me up. I took it and felt his firm grasp wrap around my small hand, like a child's compared to his.

We walked in silence towards where Elena's voice had come from. Had I upset him? "I'm sorry," I said. The last thing I needed was to upset one of the men that would be training me.

He looked over at me, confusion etched on his face. "You haven't done anything wrong, Kim. It's just me." Then I remembered something else Elena had said. 'The males will coddle you.' Whoops. But why would they coddle me when they don't even know me?

"You don't have to hide your emotions, Kim," he said suddenly, "No one will judge you because of them." But it wasn't only judgment I was scared of. What if they saw me and saw how truly broken I really was? They had obviously glimpsed some of it, but I wouldn't let them see anymore. So, I just nodded, not saying anything.

Suddenly, I felt him grab my arm, but softly, so softly you'd think he was handling a porcelain doll. He turned me around so I faced him and he looked down at me. "Please, Kim. You don't have to hide here," he said pleadingly, as if he really cared. I looked down at the floor again as I repeated my previous question.

"Why do you care so much?" I whispered, but I knew he'd hear. However, Antonio was silent for so long I didn't think he'd answer.

"Because you need someone to care," he said. How did he…? Somehow this handsome man before me had figured out what had been missing from my life without even knowing me. Abbey had cared, always had, but my parents never had, at least, not in the way that I'd needed them to care.

I looked up into Antonio's eyes, to see that he really did care, his worry as clear as mountain water. I felt tears start prickling my eyes before I could hold them back. Why the hell was I crying? Some man I didn't even know cared what happened to me, so? But the tears kept coming as I stared into Antonio's brown eyes. He moved forward, opening his arms as if to hug me, but I shrank back and it wasn't because of his scent.

I didn't know if I could trust him, or anyone else for that matter. Yes, they'd taken care of me, fed me and clothed me. So? Experience had taught me one thing over the years: before you trust anyone, they have to prove themselves to you, but in order for them to be able to do that, you have to take a leap of faith and trust them first. The only time I had gotten this right was with Abbey. She'd trusted me first, displaying pure honesty with me first, which I reciprocated. Every other time, though, I'd been stabbed in the back, each wound cracking me more and more like an antique vase.

I lifted my gaze off the floor and stared back into the brown eyes before me, they were like open windows, granting me access to him. Could I trust these people? It didn't matter; I had no other choice if I was going to stay with them. They had already trusted me to a certain point, by letting me out of the cage even if I was followed around by Clayton like a hound dog. So now I had to take a leap of faith. If I ended up getting hurt again, it didn't really matter, I was already broken.

Before I could move or say anything, however, I heard footsteps coming towards us and I turned to see Elena emerging from the trees. She stopped in her tracks and stared at my tears and turned to Antonio, looking slightly angry. "What's happened?"

"It's not his fault," I said quickly. "It's me. I…I just…I have…I wasn't expecting that," I admitted looking at Antonio. He just stared at me. I'm not sure if he had expected that either.

"Let's get back to the house," Elena said, breaking the silence. In her voice I heard an authority similar to Jeremy's but softer. However, I still felt compelled to obey. I followed her as she turned around and Antonio walked beside me. When I looked over at him and saw that he was lost in his thoughts, so much that he didn't notice me watching him.

We walked in silence towards the house. Once we'd walked through the front doors, I could hear a lot of noise coming from down the hall, probably from the study. As we got closer I started to make out the voices. Two of them sounded a lot like…children? In a house full of werewolves? What the f—

I couldn't even finish the thought before we'd gone through the study door and I saw that I'd heard right. Two children sat on Clayton's lap on one of the single couches, a girl and a boy, twins by the looks of it. They looked to be about seven years old, but the girl was slightly taller and bigger than the boy. They were adorable, both with blond hair and curls and dazzling blue eyes, which reminded me of Clayton and Elena. Hold on…

"Kate, Logan, this is Kim," Elena said, standing beside me, but before she'd even finished speaking, the kids had gotten up and were running towards me. Clayton made a move to follow them, one look at Elena made him stay where he was and shoot me an angered glare. I ignored him as I stared down at the children before me.

"Why were you hiding in the basement?" asked the girl, Kate. "Mommy said you didn't want to come up because you were scared."

"But she's not scared any more, are you?" said her twin, Logan.

Before I could answer, however, Elena said, "No, she's not." She looked over at Clayton and said, "Why don't you go with daddy and get ready for dinner?" They didn't look to happy, but they left with Clayton, one under each of his arms. Once we heard them start climbing the stairs, Elena turned to me with an apologetic smile on her face.

"Sorry about that, but I wanted them to at least see you, and I wasn't really sure how Logan would react or if he'd smell you," she said. So the kids were werewolves, or at least the boy. Then I remembered that I'd caught the scent of two other people in this house with a fainter werewolf smell. Oh.

Elena seemed to have been following my line of thought, because she said, "Yes, they both have the underlining smell of werewolves, but we're not sure if the are werewolves." She didn't linger on this but it was obvious it affected her, and not in a good way. "Come help me set the dinning table. Antonio is making us Italian spaghetti for dinner," she said swinging a smile in Antonio's direction and he smiled back, thankfully. I was starting to think I'd really upset him. I followed Elena to the dinning room and helped her set the table for six, because Jeremy was out and wouldn't be back until late, or that's what Elena said.

I glanced at the clock on the wall as I set the table and saw that it was almost six. So I must've had 'breakfast' at about two, meaning it had actually been lunch. Nice.

"Elena?" I said and looked over at her. She stopped setting the plates and looked up at me, giving me her full attention, something I was definitely not used to. It caught me off guard but I quickly recovered and asked, "Why did that Turner guy bite me? You said he'd bitten other girls but none of them survived. Why did he bite them, I mean, us?" The idea had been at the back of my mind all day and I hadn't had the courage to ask it up until now, and, honestly, I'd had other things to worry about.

Elena didn't seem too happy about the question and she studied me for a few moments before answering, her voice solemn. "Justin Turner was a mutt living in Seattle for about 2 months when he fell in love with a local girl, Rachel Anderson. I don't know if she felt the same way about him but he wanted her so much that he bit her, we don't know if it was with or without consent. When he saw that it was going badly, he drove here and dropped her off at the front gates with a note demanding that we save her." She paused, her gaze down, as if remembering that day. "We couldn't. She died only a few hours after she arrived, having never regained consciousness. Somehow Turner found out that she'd died and sent us a letter, stating that he would make sure that he got back what he had lost, no matter the price." She looked up at me with a pleadingly look in her eyes, but I couldn't focus, I was remembering what the guy in the street had said before I was bitten. 'I thought you were someone else'. No, I had looked like someone else.

"He bit the first girl in Tucson, Arizona. She had died by the time we got there. From there, Clayton and I followed the mutt all over the country, while he bit three more girls, all with similar appearances to Rachel Anderson. They all died within the day. Then, he went to Holland, Michigan, and, well, you know the rest. Unfortunately, though, we weren't able to catch him," she said, with the pleadingly look still in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kim."

I shook my head. "I don't blame you. That would be irrational," I said. "What happened was out of your hands. This mutt, this Turner guy, he's the one to blame, frickin' bonkers by the looks of it." I shook my head again. I knew I should be upset by all this. Four girls, four innocent girls were dead because of some mutt and I was the only one who had survived, which also raised another question. "Why did I survive?"

Elena obviously hadn't been expecting this, so I'd caught her off guard. She stared at me, probably wondering how I'd arrived at this question, but she quickly recovered and said, "We don't know. Not many people are capable of surviving the bite of a werewolf, and it depends greatly on the strength of the body of the person that is bitten." She looked away at the end, shrugging, and continued setting the table, ending the conversation.

I mentally sighed and continued as well. So I survived a werewolf bite, something that most people don't. I was used to being different but this is just…I knew I should be scared. I had been bitten by Turner because he wanted me, and if he found out I was alive, then he'd come for me. Somehow, though, the thought didn't ignite any fear in me. It was hard to feel fear when I felt…safe. Yes, I felt safe here. Maybe because I was in a house full of werewolves that wanted to help me, or maybe I'd gone mad. Who knew?

Clayton walked into the dinning room, then, followed closely by the twins. He didn't seem very happy to see us, well, me, but didn't say anything. The kids made their way towards me as I finished setting the cutlery and smiled up at me. I smiled back. I had always liked kids, not because I wanted any, the maternal instinct hadn't kicked in yet, but rather because I never had to pretend around them. I could be myself around them without fear of being judged, and it felt good.

"Kim, do you like physics?" asked Logan. As I looked into his eyes I saw intelligence and heaps of it, way too much for a seven year old.

"Um, yeah, I love it," I said truthfully. It had been a challenging subject, along with math, and I'd normally drive myself into them when I really needed to escape the classroom, my parents or my sister when a good book wouldn't suffice as a distraction.

"And do you know what the universal gravitational law is?" he asked looking hopeful.

"Logan, leave Kim alone," Elena said, but I waved her down.

"No worries, I don't mind. The law states that every point mass in the universe attracts every other point mass with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them," I said remembering word for word the definition. I wasn't smart; I'd just had way too many hours to study due to my non existent social life.

Logan looked impressed. "See, daddy, she is smart, just like Maxy," he said. I looked over at Clayton and saw that he wasn't the slightest bit worried that I knew his opinion of me. Elena, on the other hand, looked abashed. Who the hell is Maxy?

"Logan—" she started, but I cut her off, despite the warning my inner wolf was giving me.

"No, I'm not smart, Logan, I just know things," I said flashing him a smile. He smiled back at me with a grin. I looked over at Kate, who was right beside him, but she didn't look very happy. "What's wrong, Kate?"

Before she could answer, however, Antonio walked in with the food, and, oh God, it smelled delicious. He set down two large casseroles each filled to the rim with spaghetti allá Bolognese. "So, who's hungry?" Antonio said, grinning at the kids. They jumped at him, and then went running to their seats, obviously hungry.

Antonio motioned me towards the seat to his left while Clayton took the one on his right, and Elena and the kids took the three seats in front of us. I ended up sitting directly in front of Kate, who still seemed a little upset. When she glanced up at me, I sent her a questioning look. She considered me for a moment, before asking, "Do you like any art?"

"Sorry," Elena said to me as she shushed Kate with a look, "but the only art Kate sees in this house is Jeremy's painting, and she prefers singing, and Logan, well…I'm a journalist and Clay's an anthropologist," I almost choked on my food, quite certain I had heard wrong, "but Logan's into science and such, so sometimes we don't know what he's talking about. Even Jeremy has trouble keeping up at times, and he's a certified home school teacher."

"It's okay, I don't mind. I took pretty much all the science subjects in high school and," I turned to Kate grinning, "I took singing lessons a few years back. I can help you if you want, I'm not a very good singer, though," I said, and Kate smiled.

"Yes! Mommy, did you hear that? She's going to help me with my singing!" she said enthusiastically. I had gone to singing lessons and my teacher had said I was very good, but my mother had disagreed and felt it was a waste of money, saying it wouldn't help my future. So, she pulled me out. But singing was an emotional outlet for me, like painting is for some, or working out, or whatever. I don't write songs, I'm terrible at that, but I have a knack for finding songs that can describe exactly how I'm feeling, no matter what it is. By singing these songs, I found that I released some of the pain by saying it out loud. Once my mother had pulled me out of singing classes, however, I could no longer sing at home, since it disrupted the peace and quiet, so I could only do it when I was alone, by whish point I was most likely crying, making singing a bit difficult.

"Are you sure, Kim?" I heard Elena say, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, sure. Whenever you want," I said to Kate.

"And could you help me with physics? For some reason I can't apply the universal gravitational law to the problem I'm working on," said Logan.

"Of course, I don't mind," I said smiling at him. God, it was so easy to smile for these kids. They let me be me, even the me that had been rejected at home. I realized that Antonio was watching me, and I looked up at him. He was smiling. Of course he was.

For the rest of dinner, the twins filled me in on everything about their lives. They talked for the most part and I mostly listened. By the time we finished dinner, I knew all their hobbies, like swimming and archery, which they practiced with Jeremy, what subjects they took, what time they got up, what time they went to bed and so on. They just loved to talk, unlike their dear father, who, by the way, thinks I'm stupid. Nice.

I helped Antonio clear the table and take the plates to the kitchen, while Clayton and Elena took the kids upstairs for a bath. Antonio washed the dishes while I dried and put them away.

"You've definitely won the kids over," he said while washing a plate. I just shrugged.

"They're good kids," I said. I saw him eyeing me out of the corner of his eye, but I didn't look at him. For some reason the man was able to read me with great efficiency, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"I remember when my son was that age, quite a little trouble maker along with Clay. Well, Clayton was the trouble maker, Nick just went along with everything he did," he said, smiling at the memory. Ah, so he did have a son. He must be an amazing father, a caring and loving father. My heart clenched at the pain.

I heard the door behind us open and someone came in, someone with soft foot steps. Elena, since Jeremy was out. I turned around to look at her and saw that she was glancing at me, smiling.

"Thanks," she said, "You really don't have to go through with it though. If you were just doing it to make them happy, you don't have to do it." I shook my head at her.

"I wasn't. I really don't mind. Besides, it could be fun," I said, and suddenly I froze and revised what I'd just said. When was the last time I said something could be fun? I can't even remember. I shook my head again and turned around to put the fork in my hand away.

"Kim?" I heard Elena say. I turned around and saw that she was no longer smiling. "I'm sorry, it's probably the last thing you want to do right now, but you have to call your parents." I nodded and turned to put away the last plate. I followed Elena to the study, where I'd seen the only phone in this house, and sat down beside it. It was time to say good bye.


	6. Ch 6 Good Bye

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_Kim's conversation with her mother is in Spanish, Kim's second language. Translations are made alongside the conversation. _

Ch. 6 Goodbye

Kim's POV

I just stared at the phone. I knew what I had to do, but somehow calling my mother and hearing her scream at me down the phone was not going to make me feel good. In fact, it would probably depress me, but not because I was saying goodbye, but rather because it would remind me of everything she represents. The loss of my home, my childhood, school, anger, hate, tears…

I forced myself to relax before the tears started rolling down my face. This might be the last time she screams at me, I may never be able to go back, not after what I have become. But did I even want to go back? After everything that she put me through, making me leave my family, my home and my friends, robbing me of an innocent childhood and her utter lack of maternal instincts, did I really want to go back? No, I didn't but it didn't matter, not anymore. I am what I am now, for better or for worse I didn't know. Not yet.

I made a move to grab the phone with a shaking hand when I heard, "We can leave if you want." I jumped slightly at hearing Antonio's voice having not heard him come into the study. He was standing beside Elena, who was sitting on the other single couch. Again, his eyes flooded with concern.

"No," I said shaking my head as I picked up the phone. "I don't mind," I lied. I did mind but only because they were about to hear my mother scream, curse and, most likely, insult me because of their bionic hearing. Although, they probably didn't need it to hear my mother through the phone. But perhaps…I couldn't do anything to help their hearing her but maybe I could avoid them understanding.

I tried to dial our home phone number but fumbled because of my shaking hands. I hung the phone up and tried again. As it started ringing I prayed that Camille would pick the phone up instead of my mother. No such luck.

"Hello?" I heard my mother say ever so calmly. You wouldn't think that her daughter had been missing for almost four days.

"Mama, soy yo." Mum it's me, I said calmly. To my surprise, I really was calm.

"Kim? ¿Donde cojones estas? Cuando vuelvas, te vas a enterar! Tu padre lleva un cabreo—" Where the fuck are you? When you get home you're going to get it! Your father is so pissed—

I flinched at the mention of my stepfather and at her screaming. It didn't sound like they missed me much. Big surprise. For all I know, they were probably hoping I didn't go back, one less thing to worry about. Although, I'm not sure she ever did worry about me. Other than worry about how I looked and dressed when we went out so that I wouldn't embarrass her. I always thought, though, that she should focus more on her own wardrobe, which always seemed more fitting for an 80s party. Of course, I never said this. My opinion never mattered and if I voiced it, it was considered disrespectful, and disrespectfulness only had one punishment. I shivered at the memory but ploughed forward with my task.

"Mama, no voy a volver. Necesito estar sola." I'm not going back. I need to be alone. I had always needed to be alone when I was with my family but I had never had the guts to leave. Abbey had offered for me to go stay with her and her parents on numerous occasions, normally when she caught glimpses of how bad things were at home for me, but she never knew the whole truth. I made sure of that.

"¿Pero tu quien te crees que eres, niña? Ya te vas viniendo para—" Who do you think you are, girl? You better come home right—

"Adios, mama," I said and hung up.

I stared at the phone again. She had screamed and it had felt just like I knew it would. She always made me feel like this. Useless, alone, unworthy, inadequate. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Antonio looking down at me. Concern still clouded his eyes but now there was confusion. He hadn't expected this. No one ever did. My mother always made sure we looked like a happy family in public, but at home…at home no one was happy, me least of all.

I looked over at Elena. She still hadn't moved but she had a blank expression on her face. She was hiding her reaction. Damn it. I probably should have told them to leave. "Where am I?" I asked, trying to fill the silence. I probably should of asked before but my interest in knowing where I was had grown faint from the moment I had accepted what I had become. Besides, I doubted they would have told me before I called my mother, fearing that I would tell her where I was so she could come and get me. Now, of course, they had seen that the precaution had been unnecessary.

"Stonehaven," she said, "we're on the outskirts of Bear Valley, New York." I nodded and continued to study the floor with Antonio's hand still on my shoulder, comforting me in silence. It felt…good, I guess, knowing that for some reason he really did care how I felt.

Stonehaven. So the house has a name. Nice. Fitting in a way. A stone haven for werewolves. I almost smiled at that despite myself.

"Um, is there a chance I could lie down for a while?" I asked. Ever since dinner I had started to feel tired, perhaps from the combination of emotions I experienced today. Still, I felt…uncomfortable, like my muscles were being pulled, but I ignored it for now. I just needed to lie down for a bit and gather myself.

"Sure," answered Elena. She looked up at Antonio, and said, "Antonio will take you back to your room. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we'll go for a morning jog, just you and me, and then you will begin your training. Okay?" Again she had that authority in her voice which made me feel like I really didn't have a choice, but I nodded anyway.

I got up and followed Antonio, giving Elena a quick good night before leaving the study. He said nothing until we reached the guest room, well, my room now, I guess. "Good night," he said and was about to walk out the door when I stopped him. Why? I have no idea.

"Wait," I said. "Would you mind, um, staying a bit? Just to talk. I, er…" I just wanted to take my mind off my mother and talk about anything, anything at all, but I couldn't seem to get the words out. I didn't need to, though; Antonio nodded and went to sit on the bed, me following. I dropped the bags still full of clothes on the floor at the edge of the bed and sat down leaning against the pillows on the side closest to the window, viewing the immense forest beyond. Antonio sat next to me, lying against the pillows as well, but keeping his distance. He was treating me with so much care that my heart ached all the more for what I never had but I forced the pain down.

"If I were to join the Pack, what…what would be expected of me?" I asked. I wasn't going home, that much I knew. I didn't know if I wanted to join the Pack, I barely knew anything about it, but I may as well start sorting my options. Still, my question seemed to startle Antonio. He hadn't expected it.

"Nothing would be expected of you, Kim. The Pack is like a family, it _is_ my family," he said, speaking softly looking at me, but the wolf wouldn't let me meet his eyes. "Pack bonds are stronger than any other relationship we have outside of it. The wolf in us also makes us very, um, physical." I chanced a glance at his eyes with a questioning look. What the hell did 'physical' mean? However, he just chuckled at the look I gave him. "It means that normal human boundaries don't apply to us. We don't greet each other with handshakes, but with hugs and kisses," he said grinning at me, "We even sleep in the same bed, like wolves in the wild all sleep together to keep warm."

"And do you maintain the hierarchy of the wolves? Since Jeremy's Alpha, then there must be—"

"No. When my father was Alpha it was like that, but not anymore. Jeremy's changed the Pack in many ways and all for the better. All werewolves are equals in the Pack, but just like humans and wolves, older members are respected and, of course, obeyed," he said. "The wolf in you will give you a little push in this. You just need to pay attention."

I nodded. I'd already noticed. "Like just now with Elena. I could feel the authority in her voice and the wolf knew it had to obey, but it felt…odd, I guess," I said, not sure if that was the correct word but Antonio just smiled.

"Elena has more authority around here than most because she's the Alpha elect," he said and, seeing my confusion, added, "It means that when Jeremy steps down, Elena will take his place as Alpha."

"Oh. So, no challenges are made, like in the wild?" I had meant it as a joke but Antonio didn't seem to see it that way.

"No, not any more. Like I said, Jeremy has made a lot of changes in the Pack, and that is one of them. Before, the biggest and best fighter was Alpha, like my father, but with Jeremy it's different," he said, studying me. He probably knew why I was asking these questions but he didn't say anything. "So, you speak fluent Spanish."

I looked away and said, "Yeah, it's my parents' mother tongue and they wanted me to learn it. I grew up hearing and speaking it, though, my grandma made sure of that." Why I was telling him so much about myself, I have no idea.

I started to feel sleep start to pull me in and I laid my head back against the pillows closing my eyes. I tried to take my boots off with my feet but felt them being pulled off softly. I opened my eyes to see Antonio there. I hadn't even heard him get up. I must really be tired then.

"Thank you," I murmured, not the least bit perturbed that he was treating me like a princess. It felt different. It felt…good. I hadn't felt 'good' in so long, I can't even remember the last I had felt 'good', which I knew was kind of sad, but I pushed the thought back.

"Sleep well, sweetheart," I heard Antonio say as I drifted off into darkness.

Antonio's POV

I hadn't expected that, maybe I should have, but I hadn't. Although I hadn't understood anything, I had heard her tone. Kim's mother's voice had been filled with anger, but not the anger parents normally used when they're scared something's happened to their child. No, this had been the anger one would use with strangers, not caring if you hurt their feelings. It would explain why Kim hides her emotions, keeping them safe from her mother's onslaught. Had she been hurt because of her feelings though?

I almost crushed the cell phone in my hand at the thought of someone hurting her, hitting her. She was so small, so defenceless; I couldn't even imagine what had to go through someone's mind to hurt her. I was jumping to conclusions though, for all I knew her parents had never laid a hand on her and she hid her reactions and emotions for another reason entirely. However, there's no denying that things had not been good for at home. Perhaps I could change that. No, I knew I could change that, but would she let me? She had already started to share some information about herself, but it always seemed to upset her.

She reminded me a lot of Noah and Max. Noah had suffered neglect and abuse at the hands of his mother and stepfather and Max…Max's suffering made Noah's upbringing seem benign. However, both had taken a long time to open up to us, but we had been able to help them. I would help Kim, no matter the problems she had, I would be there for her.

I sighed as I went outside. Night had fallen, it wasn't cold yet, but it would be soon. I dialled Nick's number and waited. He picked up the second tone since he knew I would be calling him.

"How'd it go?" he asked, going straight to the point. He knew I was 'concerned' about Kim but not to what extent. Well, he was about to find out.

"Not bad," I said and proceeded to tell him the events of the day, describing Kim's behaviour but toning down her personal problems, since she didn't seem to like us seeing that side of her.

"I don't understand," he said, "I thought she was supposed to be in shock or more animal like, the wolf and the changes taking control and all that. Isn't that what happened to Elena?"

""Yes, and even though Elena was bitten under different circumstances, the same thing should be happening to Kim, but it's not. She's almost in total control of the wolf, sometimes it caches her off guard but she doesn't take long to rein it in. However, Jeremy has a theory as to why Kim seems to continue being herself," I said. Jeremy would never admit it but I knew Kim had surprised him the first time they met. He had expected a violent girl fighting the changes and the wolf within her but found a strong willed young woman calling him a lunatic. "He believes that it's possible that Kim's father was a werewolf." The werewolf gene didn't pass on to the women, but we didn't know what would happen if the daughter of a werewolf was bitten. "It would also explain why she survived the bite, against all odds, and none of the others did."

Nick was silent as he processed what I'd just told him. Yes, it was just a theory, but after everything I'd seen today, I was almost convinced that Jeremy was correct. The shock of the bite would normally last months and the wolf should be in total control right now. But with Kim…she was different, and we didn't now what to expect from her anymore, but she needed our help, and we would help her, I would help her.

"Do you know who the father is?" Nick asked breaking into my thoughts. I shook my head forgetting that he couldn't see me.

"No. The man that's married to her mother is her stepfather, but it seems like a delicate subject with her. I don't want to make her uncomfortable so I won't ask her, but we will have to eventually. We may even have to talk to Reese about it." I paused, gathering myself the said, "She's Australian, well, she was born there at least. She's been in the States for years now."

"Shit," Nick said. I nodded my agreement, but didn't say anything. We still didn't know the whole of Reese's story, but we knew enough to know that he had been in trouble with the Australian Pack, or his parents had been, I'm not sure. The only one that knew the entire story was Elena, but I had the impression that the Australian Pack wasn't anything like ours, far from it. In any case, Reese could probably recognize her surname, but I wasn't sure if the one she carried was her stepfather's, her biological father's or her mother's.

"We won't be asking him any time soon, though. Jeremy still doesn't want us to say anything to the boys, but I think we'll be able to tell them by the end of the month, since she won't be needing months of shock recovery and all," I said. If her father had been a werewolf then I was grateful, despite everything else, because otherwise she would most definitely have died shortly after the bite. I shivered at the thought.

"Okay, but speaking of the boys, Max is getting restless. Well, they all are, but Max especially. I had to forbid him from calling you or your phone would be ringing every five minutes. They don't like being kept in the dark," he said and I knew it was difficult for him. Hell, it was difficult for me as well. I hated lying to the boys, but Jeremy had already given his orders. "And they miss you," he added. That one hit me and it hit me hard. I knew I was leaving the boys aside but I needed to be here right now. I'm not sure if they would understand that though, especially Max.

"I'll be there by Wednesday night. I want to help Clay start her training and then I'll go home. I have to do some things at the office as well, but I'll come back on Friday," I said. "I've…Jeremy has given me permission to train Kim along side Clay." Nick was silent. I knew he hadn't expected that, he would have expected me to leave the training to Clay but I couldn't. I needed to be here, she needed someone to care.

I clenched the phone again, almost breaking it in two before I stopped myself, as I remembered that moment in the woods earlier. She didn't seem understand why we wanted to help her and, after hearing her mother, I couldn't blame her. I hit the bull's eye though; I managed to figure out why she pulled away from me. Because I cared. Between what Jeremy had told me and what I had seen, I came to that conclusion. She needed someone to care, just to care. It felt as if it hadn't happened often enough in her life, if at all. The tears that had fallen down her delicate face only reinforced that theory.

"Dad, I don't…understand. Why do you—" Nick began but I cut him off.

"I just do, Nick. She needs help and she has a long road ahead of her still. As soon as I feel that she knows enough to be able to defend herself, I'll go home," I said, but I could hear the doubt echoing in my words. Before Nick could protest, however, I said, "I want you to come here on Wednesday. I want you to meet her. I want her to start to get to know the Pack. Technically, she still isn't Pack but I'm convinced that she will join when she's ready. She just needs to feel comfortable around us." Silence. Nick still didn't understand. "Please, son."

"Okay, don't worry, dad, I'll go. I'm curious to see what has you so enthralled," he chuckled and I smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. Yes, I guess you could say I was enthralled with Kim. I said good night to Nick and made my way to Elena's room, but made a quick pit stop in the kitchen and grabbed some fruit. Normally, I would stay in the guest room with the boys, but Kim was no where near ready to be sharing a bed with any Pack member. It would take time and we would need to gain her trust. Hopefully, I had already started to build that trust.

As I reached the top of the staircase, I heard I whimper from down the hall. The kids? Another whimper. It was coming from Kim's room. I was at her door so fast I almost slipped from the inertia but quickly steadied myself and opened the door.

She was asleep but sweat covered her face and she was thrashing on the bed, like she was fighting. I knew from experience that I could not avoid this. I didn't know what her nightmare was about, but there was nothing I could do to help her. Only wake her and comfort her. If she let me.

Kim's POV

I felt the floor slide under me as I ran. I could see its tail. I almost had, I was almost there. I pounced and fell atop the rabbit, my teeth chomping down on its neck, blood squirting in my eyes and filling my mouth with warmth.

I knew something was wrong but the weight if the dream pulled me down. Or was it the wolf? I don't know. I couldn't concentrate, everything was so confusing. I was running again but I could still feel the warmth of the blood in my mouth. It was wrong, I knew it, but I couldn't seem to stop thinking how good it tastes. I kept running, I was chasing another animal, it was larger though. A deer. I could feel my heart pounding as I ran faster, moving in on my prey.

Suddenly I felt hands touch me lightly on the arm and heard, as if from far away, "Kim, wake up, sweetheart." My eyes flew open as I jumped upright in the bed. Antonio was beside me, rubbing my shoulder with a tender look in his eyes, but I barely saw them. My arm was itching; it felt like it was being stretched, pain stabbing through me, making me think that my whole body was being stretched. I looked down and I swear I could _see_ it stretching. Then it started shimmering, as did my other arm.

"Kim, relax," I heard Antonio say softly, but the smell of my anxiety and sweat filled me and only made the shimmering quicken. "Relax, sweetheart. Push it back, I know you can." He continued to speak words of encouragement as I focused on my breathing once again, but it didn't seem to be working, so I focused on his voice. It was so soothing and his words of encouragement made me feel like I could do anything right now, but I focused on the task at hand. Listening to the sound of his voice, focusing on his words, I pushed the Change back. I don't know how long it took, but I eventually felt the pain from my arms recede. I looked down and saw that they had indeed stopped shimmering. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?" he asked. I shook my head but I didn't look up at him and continued to stare at the bed covers. The sweat that soaked me was starting to make me shiver.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I heard Antonio say as I felt him continue to rub my shoulder blades. I looked up to see him looking at me with tender brown eyes that reminded me of a teddy bear I'd had when I was a child. Again, I shook my head. I wasn't sure if I was ready for the Change, it still seemed so surreal. I doubt I would totally accept that I could Change into a wolf until I actually did it. However, the pain seemed real enough. "Do you want to tell me about the dream?"

"I just…I guess it's just the wolf in me," I said. Yes, it was the blood hungry wolf in me that like to chase bunnies for a midnight snack.

"Were you hunting as a wolf?" he asked. I just nodded. I had been hunting, not chasing those animals. It had felt so good, though. I could still remember the pounding of my heart as I ran after the rabbit and then the deer. I closed my eyes at the memory and leaned against Antonio, who tensed slightly. I jumped back as I realized what I was doing. Damn it! Antonio was the living image of the nicest man on Earth and I could feel myself already beginning to trust him. The wolf in me taking that trust and thinking it was a sign of a bond between me and the older werewolf. Was it, though? The wolf seemed to think so but my human side knew I still needed proof of that trust on his behalf. Experience had made sure that lesson was forever ingrained in my mind. It had been a painful lesson. However, the wolf hadn't learned this lesson and it insisted that I accept the man before me as…as what?

"It's the wolf," Antonio said. He had been watching me as I had my inner debate, but I'm not sure what he meant about that though. "The wolf in you knows it needs a family. You're young and in the wild young wolves are still in the pack," he added at seeing my quizzical look. Oh. So the wolf was looking for a pack? For a family? I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Again, I could feel the wolf instincts trying to take control and, for once, I let them. For some reason the wolf had already accepted Antonio, and probably everyone else in this house, as its pack already and I hadn't even noticed. I don't think I cared though.

I felt the wolf take over and let it guide me. I leaned against Antonio again, closing my eyes, feeling him tense again but quickly relaxed. He probably thought I was crazy; just a few seconds ago I had flown away from him and now I was leaning against him, letting him rub the tension from my shoulders away. I felt his arms go around me as he pulled me back down against the pillows holding me against him, filling me with his scent and his warmth. I didn't pull away, though. The wolf knew Antonio wouldn't harm me, no matter what my human side said, that's why it guided me into his arms, seeking the protection of an older werewolf.

Slowly, I feel asleep in his arms, listening to the soft beat of his heart.


	7. Ch 7 Training

_Hey, guys! I'd like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy holidays! I'd love to hear some comments. Thank you all for reading! _

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_I'd also like to ask you all to please read the story _**About Noah,**_ which is a collaborative project between _**SuperNatural1985**_ and myself. __The story is based on what we have read about Noah, in _Frostbitten _and _Hidden_, and is a second attempt at the original story __**About Noah**__ originally published on SuperNatural1985's profile. _

**Firework – Katy Perry**

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag,  
>drifting through the wind<br>wanting to start again?  
>Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin<br>like a house of cards,  
>one blow from caving in?<p>

Do you ever feel already buried deep?  
>6 feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing<br>Do you know that there's still a chance for you  
>'Cause there's a spark in you?<br>You just gotta ignite, the light, and let it shine  
>Just own the night like the 4th of July<p>

**Two Worlds Collide – Demi Lovato**

She was given the world  
>So much that she couldn't see<br>And she needed someone to show her,  
>who she could be.<br>And she tried to survive  
>Wearing her heart on her sleeve<br>And I needed you to believe

You had your dreams, I had mine.  
>You had your fears, I was fine.<br>You showed me what I couldn't find,  
>When two different worlds collide.<p>

Ch 7 Training

I woke with Antonio's scent enveloping me. I sat bolt upright in the bed but I was alone. His scent was embedded on the sheets. Oh. I laid back down against the pillows and closed my eyes. What the hell did I do last night? It seemed so out of character. Well, technically, it hadn't been me, it had been the wolf, but the wolf was me, wasn't it? God, this was confusing.

I had never been one for hugs and kisses. Okay, not true, I just never got them and by the time I was seven I knew better than to ask for them. Then last night… Last night I'd let the wolf take over and it had gone looking for what I'd never had and also wanted and found Antonio. I'd leaned into him, the wolf seeking protection, and he hadn't pulled away. Did that mean it was okay, that he didn't mind? The human in me was screaming that I had acted like a child and I should go find him and apologize for it, but the wolf was telling me that it was alright, that the older wolf is supposed to protect the younger one. I thought about how he'd wrapped his arms around me like a father trying to protect his daughter from the world, and my heart ached.

I had to be careful, though. Antonio had glimpsed the broken me and probably saw someone he could look after but if he saw it all, he would probably turn away just like everyone else had. The wolf told me this wasn't true, that the older werewolf would look after me but I dismissed it. Too many people had turned away from me when I'd opened up to them and shown them my true self, that's why I'd learned to hide it.

I still couldn't understand why Antonio would've hugged me, though, it didn't seem normal. Normal people don't hug near strangers. 'And normal people don't lean into them looking for protection guided by an inner wolf' said a little voice in my head. Then I remembered what Antonio had said about Pack bonds being much stronger and more physical than human ones, but I wasn't Pack. I wasn't sure yet if I wanted to be but the wolf sure as hell did know. I could feel the wolf's need for belonging, for a pack and for a family, but was this the place for all that? Could I find it all with the Pack?

I sat up shaking my head. This wasn't the time to think about it. First I needed to understand what I have become and then I would have to learn how to live with it. I had to learn how to fight. Fight? Who the hell am I kidding? The only person I could fight and hope to win is a ten year old. Could Antonio and Clayton really teach me to defend myself? God, I hoped so, because form what Jeremy had told me, if a mutt found me alone and defenceless I was as good as dead, or worse.

I got out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, my sensitive nose picking up the smell of sweat on my body, mostly from last night. I tried not to think of the failed Change last night. I don't think I could deal with it, not yet at least. I turned the water on, making sure it was boiling, my muscles needing to be tensed out again. By the time I got out of the shower, though, they were still a bit tense but that was my fault. Something about training with two big werewolves wasn't sitting well in my mind, but I could also feel a slight pull on my tendons making certain movements a bit uncomfortable.

I wrapped a towel around my body, seeing that there were a lot more towels in the bathroom today since I was going to be staying. For how long, though? How long will it take me to learn how to 'fight'? Then, what? No, not now. I would deal with this when the moment came. For now I would train and learn everything I could about being a werewolf and what that entails, while I sort my options.

I walked out of the bathroom and found Elena sitting on the bed with another bag by her feet. She smiled at me as I made my way towards her and I was glad to have wrapped the towel around me. It's not like she wouldn't see anything new but I was uncomfortable with my body, always had been. It had been the centre of my humiliation when I had had showers at school, well, and when I hadn't been in the showers too. I blocked out the memories that threatened to take over me and focused on Elena.

"Hey," she said smiling at me, "Did you sleep well?" Yeah, right. Like Antonio didn't tell you that I'm the most idiotic person in the world and that I don't care if I sleep next to a stranger.

"Yeah," I said not meeting her eye. Antonio had said it was normal for Pack members to sleep in the same bed and honestly it hadn't felt wrong to me, well, at least not to the wolf. But was it okay for a non Pack werewolf to sleep in the same bed as a Pack werewolf? Come to think of it, aren't I technically a mutt right now?

"Kim? Are you okay?" I heard Elena ask, her voice tinged with concern. I nodded looking at the floor hoping that that would be enough. It wasn't apparently. "Kim, look at me," she said now with authority in her voice, her Alpha voice, I guess, so I had to obey. I looked her in the eyes and held her gaze for as long as I dared then looked away. God, this was annoying. Wouldn't I be able to look anyone in the eyes anymore? Yeah, if they're not werewolves. "Sit down, hon," she said softly but it was still her Alpha voice. I sat next to her keeping my gaze on the bed and then on the floor. "What's on your mind? Is it about Antonio?"

I didn't answer her but asked a question of my own. "Did you feel like this? Like everything that you thought was normal had suddenly been turned upside down?"

"Something like that," she said and I could hear the smile in her voice. "It took me a long time to get used to all the coddling. If you feel uncomfortable, though, just say so and the guys will pull back, but, trust me, you'll get used to it in the end."

"But I'm not Pack, so why would they extend these bonds towards, well, a mutt?" I said. She didn't answer for a few moments and I chanced a glance up at her and saw that she was staring at me with a slight frown, and then suddenly she looked angry. Shit. Did I offend her?

"You're under Pack protection because you were bitten, Kim. You are not a mutt. You have done nothing to deserve that label," she said and I could see the fire in her eyes.

"So once I leave I will be a mutt?" I asked, knowing that I should've said 'if I leave' but I couldn't let them see how much the wolf wanted to stay. Well, I guess the human wanted to stay as well, I'm not sure. It was all just so confusing.

Elena hesitated before answering and sounded as if she regretted having to give me an answer. "If you choose to leave the Pack once your training is completed, then yes, you would be a...a mutt," she said. She looked like she didn't like the idea of me leaving but I couldn't imagine why. Unless you thought about what the mutts out there would do to me once they found me alone and unprotected.

I got up abruptly. I was getting cold so I reached over to grab the bags with the clothes Elena had brought me yesterday but she stopped me. I turned to her wondering why she wouldn't let me get dressed or if she had something more to say on the matter about mutts, but she just handed me the bag that had been at her feet. "Here," she said, "I didn't want to give it to you yesterday or you might have gone running for the hills." I looked inside and found work out clothes and shoes. Oh. Yeah, maybe I would have freaked out yesterday since I didn't know I was going to be training in order to protect myself against horny mutts. I nodded and mumbled a thanks, before she walked to the door and said behind her back, "I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen," and left.

I dressed quickly and was about to leave when I saw my jacket, the one I'd been wearing the night I was bitten, on the chair near the windows. I walked over and pulled my phone out. It was off. I had promised Abbey I would call and I always kept my promises, so she would know something was wrong the moment I didn't. I had to call her. No. I couldn't handle hearing her voice. I turned my phone on and noticed that it barely had any battery left and quickly typed a message telling her that I had left town because I needed to be alone and I didn't know when I was going back. And that I was sorry. I knew I was hurting my sister by saying that I needed to be alone but I had no choice. I sent the message and turned the phone off again. I didn't want her to call me, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to handle it. I was barely handling it right now as I fought the tears that were threatening to roll down my face.

I put the phone back in my jacket pocket and felt a chain inside. I pulled my necklace out and stared at the silver scarab charm. It brought back so many memories that it brought more tears to my eyes. No. I had to relax. I could not break down. Not here.

I pulled myself together as I put the necklace on and made my way to the kitchen following the smell of toast and eggs. I walked in to find Elena and Antonio by the stove making the eggs. "Good morning," Antonio said beaming at me as I made my way towards them.

"Good morning," I mumbled but didn't meet his eye. I couldn't. The whole thing was still a bit confusing, but the wolf was begging me to give him a hug and greet him like a Pack member would. I pushed the urge back, though. This was not a time to be sentimental and I was already on the verge of tears.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" I heard him say as I saw him step closer to me. Why did he have to call me sweetheart? It just made the tears stronger but I forced them back. I would not let them see me cry again.

"Yeah, I'm just…just fine," I said looking at the floor, praying that they didn't hear my voice shake.

"Kim, look at me, hon," I heard Antonio say. I looked up at him and saw concern in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. I couldn't lie to him. I just couldn't, not while I was looking him in the eyes, and the tears were making it much more difficult.

"I just… I just finished saying good bye is all," I said. That's when the flood waters came. Damn it! But I couldn't stop the tears. Antonio stepped forward and pulled me to him like he had last night but I didn't pull back. I didn't want to. I needed someone to tell me that it was going to be okay, that I would see my adopted sister again. I felt Antonio's strong arms go around me protectively, just like last night. I stayed like that until I heard the kitchen door open and I looked over to see Clayton. He stared at Antonio and me with a look that said 'what the fuck?' I pulled away from Antonio then, already embarrassed by my latest breakdown. God, why had I been able to keep it together at home but not here? Isn't it supposed to be easier to pretend around strangers? Yes, but strangers don't normally care for you and these were no ordinary strangers.

I wiped away the tears angrily and crossed my arms against my chest staring at the floor. I caught Elena's scent as she stood in front of me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, let's go have breakfast," she said ignoring my breakdown. I mentally thanked her. I followed her to a sunroom and sat down beside her, where she indicated. Antonio and Clayton hadn't come with us.

"Was there someone else you had to say good bye to?" she asked as we started eating.

"Yes," I said trying to keep my voice as steady as possible and not looking up in case she saw the pain in my eyes. "My best friend, well, she's more like a sister to me. I needed to say good bye. I owe her at least that." I looked up at Elena to watch her reaction but she just nodded and looked away.

"I'm sorry," she said after a while. I looked up at her confused. Why was she saying sorry? "I hadn't realized how difficult it would be for you. When I was bitten I didn't have anyone so it was, well, not easier, but it wasn't something I had to go through," she said. I just nodded. It hadn't been difficult to say good bye to my mother, just painful, but saying good bye to Abbey was difficult. We were sisters in all but blood. We even liked the same guys. I almost smiled as the memory hit me, but I couldn't manage it.

We finished breakfast in silence and then I helped Elena clean up. When we finished, I followed her outside and we went into the woods. We reached the clearing where we had been yesterday and started stretching. After about twenty minutes she asked, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I said. I hated running. It gave me way too much time to be alone with my thoughts, but Elena didn't give me that time. As we started jogging she kept up a steady stream of female werewolf 101. She started off with tips on how to Change, since I would be doing so soon. You have to be on all floors, you need to clear your mind and focus on the Change, you won't Change if you're uncomfortable and on and on it went.

"Oh, and you'll Change if you're scared," she added to the immense list of things to remember when Changing, about to Change or have just finished Changing. I looked over at her beside me with a quizzical look. I could barely speak through my huffing and puffing but she understood my unspoken question. "You're a werewolf now, hon, and if you're scared you're body will bring out the best defence mechanism it has. The wolf." Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. I just nodded but didn't comment, not that I could even if I wanted to.

Next Elena started talking about Pack runs, that's what she called them not me. She explained that the wolf would be in almost total control while I was Changed so there wasn't much need for instruction here, or that's what she said. She did, however, have something to say about what happens when the run is over. I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at her, my breathe coming hard and fast from the running.

I waited to catch my breath before I sputtered, "What do you mean 'waking up in a grotto surrounded by naked men'?" That sounded a lot like a porn movie scene, so I was hoping that she was pulling my chain on this. She wasn't. She looked dead serious.

"After a run we normally just find a clearing, lie down next to each other and fall asleep. By the time we wake up we've reverted to our human form. We don't really know why," she said looking sympathetic now. "Trust me, it creped the hell out of me for a while, but I was quickly stripped of my vanity. Besides, the guys I woke up with weren't in bad shape, not at all," she added with a smile. I didn't care how muscled and toned the men were, beside the fact that the all had at least 20 years on me, it did not sound like a pleasant experience. Waking up naked surrounded by naked men? Hell, I was uncomfortable being naked around women; I couldn't even begin to imagine how I'd react to finding myself in that situation.

"But these are Pack runs, right? I won't be participating in them, will I?" I asked trying very hard not to sound too hopeful.

"Yes, you will. We can't let you Change by yourself and, besides, when you join the Pack you will have to participate in them. Wolves do it all the time to get food," she said, but I just stared at her. She had said 'when you join the Pack'. Did that mean that they already assumed that I was staying? It didn't matter. If it was what was best for me then I would stay. I wasn't suicidal after all.

We continued running and Elena kept up the stream of information, now turning towards the dangers that could present themselves while I was Changed. These dangers, however, weren't dangerous to me, but to humans. In fact, I was the danger. Elena explained that the wolf in us saw humans as another animal, another prey, so werewolves normally felt the urge to chase them. Pack werewolves were trained to fight this urge and some mutts were as well, but even some of those few couldn't or didn't bother squelching the urge. Those were the man-eaters. That was one of the reasons why they would be Changing with me, but once I had my Changes under control, they would move our runs to places where humans were close by, and once I controlled that, they would take me to run among them.

I digested all of this with all the calm I could muster. Yes, the thought of killing and eating a human sickened me, but I had to trust that the Pack would help me, to teach me how to control this impulse. Elena then told me what had happened to her when she was bitten. She had escaped from Jeremy and gone back to Toronto and had killed two men, because she had been too hungry and hadn't been able to control her Changes. I'm not sure why she shared something so personal with me but I guess she meant it as lesson, something like 'I've already made this mistake so you don't have to go through it'.

"This also means that if you let yourself go hungry, you're control on your Changes will start to slip and that won't have a happy ending," she said and I nodded as we reached the clearing where we had begun. I leaned over exhausted. I had never run so much in my life and I had just learned what the phrase 'sweating like a pig' actually meant.

We stretched for a few minutes and then made our way back to the house. We went straight to the kitchen and gulped down a litre of water each. I then helped Elena make a few sandwiches and I was finishing my fourth one when Clayton came in, wearing workout clothes that accentuated his muscles, and said, "We're waiting for you." He was looking at me and his expression told me that he didn't like to have to wait on people. This guy was starting to get on my nerves.

I nodded to him and turned to Elena, but before I could say anything she said, "Don't worry. I'm right behind you." I smiled a thank you at her, grateful for not having to have formed the question that would have left my fears as clear as crystal. I followed Clayton out the door and heard Elena behind me.

Antonio was waiting for us in the backyard and I wasn't surprised to see him wearing work out clothes as well. I could see his bulging muscles again that made Wolverine look like a featherweight. I kept my gaze down though, not because of the amazing bodies before me but because I was still embarrassed about my breakdowns. I didn't have time to feel embarrassed though; Clayton made his way to where Antonio was standing and quickly turned around and started the lesson.

"The first thing you need to know is that you will always be at a disadvantage when dealing with mutts. Always. Only with humans will you have the upper hand and even then you have to be very careful. Two, if you are facing more than one opponent or find that you cannot handle just one, get the hell out of there and fast. Three, no matter what happens, stay in control. Don't let fear get in your way of fighting. Four…" And so the list went on and on. By the time he was done with the basics, the sweat from the jog had already dried.

Once he finished enlisting the most important things I needed to know, he began with anatomy. Okay, not true, but it came close. He told me which were the most painful areas and which were the most life threatening. If anyone had told me that I would be learning how to fight werewolves from an anthropologist a week ago I would have laughed my head off. Nevertheless, I paid the utmost attention. I knew my life depended on what I learned here and if I thought about it, it would depend on it for as long as I lived. I would always be in danger. I was a female werewolf. One of the two only known female werewolves in the world. I pushed the thoughts aside, though, and focused on Clayton. He was using Antonio to demonstrate the most critical areas where I could land blows.

Although Clayton had told me to run like hell if I was ever outnumbered, he did teach me how to take care of it if I was unable to run away. "Disable as many as possible. Breaking knees, noses, feet, anything, and when you get the chance, run," he said. He then pop quizzed me on everything he had just told me. Thankfully, I got all the answers right, but he didn't look impressed. Oh, well.

With Elena and Antonio's help, he then showed me exactly how to land the punches and the kicks, how to block, how to side step, everything in the book, or I guess he did. Elena helped me perfect the form of my blows, making me aim them at her which didn't make Clayton very happy, while he landed the same blows I did but on Antonio. Of course, I didn't hurt her; we just went through the motions in slow motion so I could see what it was supposed to look like. I know most people started off kicking and punching bags and stuff, but I guess they just wanted me to learn as quickly as possible.

When Clayton was done he turned to face me and told me to show him everything I had just done to Elena. On him. Oh shit. I moved towards him feeling my heart pound frantically. "Right uppercut," he said and I stumbled forward almost falling to the ground. Damn it. I steadied myself and looked him in the eyes. He didn't look impressed. I felt a growl grow in my throat but I forced it back. Somehow growling at the older werewolf would not put me in his good books. Okay, take two. "Right uppercut," he said once I had my guard up. I jumped forward swinging my arm but he blocked it. He continued to call out the names of the motions and I executed them all fairly well, at least I think so. I didn't land any blows though, he just blocked them, the point of the exercise being that I had to get used to the movements. When I was done, I looked him in the eyes, the wolf seeking to be accepted by this strong werewolf. I held his gaze for as long as I dared, and then looked away. He didn't say anything, however, and went back inside. I looked over at Elena, wondering if I had done something wrong. Had I gone too far with holding his gaze?

"That was amazing, Kim. Why didn't you tell us you've had self defence lessons before?" I stared at her. Yes, I had had self defence lessons before, but I hadn't been interested in the class then and hadn't paid attention which meant none of the lessons had been ingrained in my mind. So why was she asking me this?

"I haven't had self defence lessons before," I said softly not looking at her. Since I couldn't remember anything from those lessons from so long ago I considered myself a rookie. Elena just studied me with a slight frown on her brow. Did I say something wrong? She looked over at Antonio and nodded at him.

"I'm going to go get lunch ready. I'll come get you guys when it's done," she said and left following the way Clayton had gone just moments before. I looked over at Antonio completely confused.

He smiled at me and said, "It's seems you're a natural." Oh? I was a natural because I had been able to execute the movements Clayton called out to me? Okay… "Do you know how many people are capable of executing more than acceptable fighting techniques after only two hours of basic training on their first try? Less than a hand full." Oh.

"So what does that mean?" I asked. Elena and Clayton had both looked a little unsettled.

"It just means that we won't be spending the next several days teaching you how to perform the movements properly," he said beaming at me. Several days? The movements weren't that difficult, at least, I didn't think so. "Come on, sweetie. It's time to get some muscle into those arms," he said and I followed him down to the basement. I avoided looking at the cage. It looked much more sinister from the outside than it had on the inside.

He led me over to the weights and started me on some exercises. Of course, I was lifting much more weight than I could have lifted a week ago. Then I did sit ups. I hate sit ups, but I did them anyways, not like I had much of a choice anyway. Once I was done we moved over to the punching bag and he set me the same exercises we'd done outside but hitting the bag, so he could see just how strong I was. Not much apparently. I was almost done when Elena called from upstairs that lunch was ready. We went straight to the dinning room and ate in silence. We were all very hungry. I helped clean up and then went to my room to shower. God knew I needed it.

When I was dressed I went back downstairs and found Clayton in the foyer. "Let's go," he said. Hmm, seems this guy's politeness had gone walkabout. Permanently. But I followed him nonetheless. He led me outside where Elena was waiting. Clayton stopped beside her and said, "Find Antonio." I was about to ask how but then it hit me. He wanted me to find him using my new heightened sense of smell. Right.

I could pick up his scent where I was standing right now but it was faint. I walked around the backyard trying to pick up a stronger, more recent scent, breathing in deeply. "Scents are easier to pick up if you're kneeling," I heard Elena say. I nodded a thanks and knelt down where I was because Antonio's scent was stronger here. I soon as I neared the grass I understood why dogs sniffed the ground. The scent was much stronger here. Duh, stupid, of course it is. Body particles eventually fall to the ground, its called gravity. I ignored the voice in my head and started to follow the scent trail. It led into the woods. I followed it and had to kneel down a couple of times on the ground in the woods when I reached a fork in Antonio's scent. He must have been trying to trick me, but I eventually found the one that was stronger, if only slightly.

I'd been following the scent for about ten minutes when I heard a twig crack a few feet behind me. I turned just in time to see Antonio tackle me to the ground but he made sure that he didn't put his weight on me and that my head didn't hit the floor whiplashing. I looked up into Antonio's face to see him grinning down at me. I couldn't help but grin back. His smile was contagious. "Seems you're a natural at tracking as well," he said.

"Let me guess, not many people have managed to track a werewolf on their first try?" I asked and froze. Where was this coming from? I was talking to him as if I knew him, like he was a friend I could joke around with, or a… or a father. Antonio noticed that I had tensed up and got off of me. He helped me up with gentle hands and studied me for a few moments, his smile gone, before asking, "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. No. I would not share my problems with this kind man. I might just scare him away. "Let's just get back," I said and added, "Please," in case it sounded like I was ordering him around. He nodded and I saw him smile slightly as we made our way back to the house in silence. Was I feeling this way towards Antonio because I had never had a father figure that actually cared about me? After all, since he had said he cared for me I had begun to trust him, if only slightly, but that had been only 24 hours ago. Today, I felt like I could trust him with my life. It was like when I met Abbey. Within one hour she was giving me her life's story and I was giving her mine. Instant friendship. I never thought I'd encounter it again, since before Abbey, well, friendships hadn't really been my thing I guess.

As we neared the house I could hear the twins' screams of joy. They must've been at school; they were seven years old after all. Hmm, I wonder what grade Logan is in. That kid is just scary smart. When we reached the backyard, Logan and Kate were there with Clayton and Elena. Once they saw Antonio and I exiting the forest the twins ran towards us.

"Kim," Kate yelled grinning from ear to ear as she reached me with her brother following close behind her. "Can you help me with my singing now?" she asked looking hopeful.

"No, she has to help me with the Universal Gravitational Law application," Logan said as if that settled the matter. Kate looked at him furiously and as about to say something to him when Elena interrupted her.

"Guys, leave Kim alone. She's had a long day and is probably very tired," Elena said, but I shook my head at her. Yes, I was tired, but for these kids I would make all the time in the world. More so if I got to enjoy a bit of much needed singing time.

"It's okay. I don't mind," I said but quickly turned to Antonio and said, "Unless we're not done yet…" He smiled at me and shook his head.

"No, we're done for today. You've progressed more in one day than we thought you'd progress in one week," he said still beaming at me and added, "I'm proud of you." I stared at him. No one had ever said that to me before. He was proud of me for doing what I was told to do? This doesn't make any sense and the wolf wasn't helping. It was purring at Antonio's compliment.

Antonio must've noticed that something wasn't okay because his smile disappeared and his eyes filled with concern again. He started to reach out towards me when I heard Kate say, "You have twigs in your hair, Kim." I looked over at her, hiding my uncertainty of the situation, and tried to smile. A brought a hand up to the back of my head and found that I did indeed have twigs in my hair.

"It's Antonio's fault," I said grinning at the kids as I pulled the twigs out of my hair. "He snuck up on me."

"No, I didn't. Otherwise you wouldn't have twigs in your hair but in your mouth," he said and I was relieved to see that he was laughing. He didn't need to worry about me and my odd assortment of problems. "Come on, guys. Let's go see what we can do about dividing up Kim's time without actually dividing her in two," he said as he grabbed each kid in one arm and took them inside. I followed them and noticed that Elena and Clayton were nowhere in sight. Hmm.

We went to the dining room and Logan sat at one end and Kate at the other where I told her to wait while I helped Logan. Thankfully the exercise was a simple one and I gave him the hint he needed so he could continue with the rest. Okay, so he wasn't a smart kid, he was a genius. I left him with Antonio and went over to Kate who was already starting to get impatient. "Okay, hon, so what exercises do you do to warm up your voice?" I asked and she quickly got up and showed me the exercises she did.

She had a good voice, not great but good. It would become great with a bit of practice. I gave her tips on her posture and mouth movements to give her voice more power. Then I showed her some exercises to loosen her lips and we ended up laughing. It was quite a ridiculous activity after all. I tried not to think about the fact that Antonio was watching me, since the wolf felt it needed to be praised again. When Kate was about to start singing the song she was working on in class, I looked over at Logan and asked if we were bothering him with the noises. He didn't mind. I wasn't surprised, when I had been doing physics at home I normally had some music playing in the background, but softly. Always softly, or I'd disturb the peace and quiet of the house, that's what my mother said at least. I nodded to Logan and let Kate show me the song and the music sheets.

She was working on Firework by Katy Perry. Not an easy song, but luckily it was one of my favourite ones so I already knew it by heart and was able to help her without looking at the music sheets. Firework was a song that felt like it had been written just for me. The first time I heard it I felt like I could do just about anything and I'd helped Abbey prepare the song so she could perform it at the academy recital. My teacher had said that I was an excellent singer because I felt the songs. That's why I barely sung with Kate, just showing her every now and then how to reach certain notes and how to move her mouth, but no more or Antonio would notice just how much that song meant to me.

Abbey and I had actually met because of my singing teacher, Natalie. It had been almost six months since my mother had pulled me out of the academy, when one day she called me in because she had a student she wanted me to meet. The student was Abbey. She wanted me to help her with a song and felt like I was the best person to do so. But when Natalie introduced us I saw that Abbey was depressed, I didn't even know her but I knew. I recognized all the signs from myself. So when Natalie left us alone, I asked her if she wanted to talk about whatever was wrong, not something I had ever done before, trust me, I was just as surprised as Abbey when the words left my mouth. She didn't care though and was crying on my shoulder within minutes and I on hers. Yes, I cry if someone else is crying, I just can't help it. From that moment on we became almost inseparable and the song that I helped her with ended up being our song. Two Worlds Collide by Demi Lovato, a song she dedicated to her best friend and so Abbey thought it was only fitting that she dedicate it to me, and so she did.

I pulled away from the memory as Elena walked in and announced that dinner was ready. Thank God because I was starving. We had dinner in relative silence, the kids talking every now and then, but they were hungry too. I helped with the cleaning up and then helped Elena with the laundry even though she told me she could do it, but I insisted. They were allowing me to stay in their home for nothing in return it seemed, so I was at least going to help out with what I could. Once we were done I excused myself and went up to my room.

I had been lying on my bed for about half an hour when I heard heavy footsteps come towards my room and heard a knock at my door. "Come in," I said still feeling weird at giving permission in a house that wasn't mine. It was Antonio.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," he said once he saw me lying under the covers and started to back away. I shook my head at him.

"No, it's okay. I'm having trouble trying to sleep," I said which was true. The strain on my muscles that had been uncomfortable this morning was now starting to get painful. As he strode in I sat up a bit and he sat next to me on the bed, just like the day before.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. I didn't really know what he was talking about. I was feeling a lot of things right now but one thing rode above the rest.

"Confused," I said honestly. Yes, I can finally say I trusted him, just like I had with Abbey. Instant friendship. At least, I hoped so. Antonio just nodded and then put an arm around my shoulders pulling me to him. I hesitated slightly, unsure, but the wolf pushed me forward and I leaned against him.

"We'll help you, sweetheart," he said and I closed my eyes at hearing him calling me sweetheart. It was an endearment that no one had ever used on me, at least not in English. My grandma used to call me _cariño_, but its translation is closer to darling. However, she had been the only one I've ever known that used endearments when talking to me. A faint memory said that someone else had too but it was too weak and it fell from my mind's grasp before I could see it. My fa…? No, don't think about that.

"I know," I said surprising him and myself. I knew they would help, they had already proven that. We sat like that for a long time, watching the shadows in the room disappear and the moon rise, me leaning against his shoulder and then on his chest as I began to drift off. I was so comfortable lying on his chest with his arms holding me against him, a gesture I had come to recognize as fatherly, exhaustion finally took over and I fell asleep.


	8. Ch 8 Under My Skin

_Hey, guys! Last chapter for the year! Enjoy!_

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_I'd also like to ask you all to please read the story _**About Noah,**_ which is a collaborative project between _**SuperNatural1985**_ and myself. __The story is based on what we have read about Noah, in _Frostbitten _and _Hidden_, and is a second attempt at the original story __**About Noah**__ originally published on SuperNatural1985's profile. _

Ch 8 Under My Skin

Antonio's POV

With each passing moment I could feel the need to protect her grow. I didn't know if it was because she was a girl, because she seemed to be so broken inside or because she seemed so helpless. She wasn't helpless, though, she had proven that today. I hadn't expected it, none of us had. She wasn't perfect but one day she would be an amazing fighter despite her smallness. In a way, she kind of reminded me of Clay, at first he had been the smallest of the litter but over the years he grew to be the tall and strong man he was now; well, taller than me at least.

I held Kim as she slept but it wasn't an easy sleep. She kept whimpering and I could feel and see her muscles contract every so often, the Change imminent. Despite Jeremy's conviction that she would survive, I couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt. She was so small; I was scared the Change would rip her in half. But what if she really was the daughter of a werewolf? From what we had seen so far it seemed to elevate the chances of survival. Elena was holding onto Jeremy's theory about this because she needed it, we all did. We didn't know for sure if the kids would be able to Change and, if they couldn't, there was no doubt they would ask to be bitten. If Kim's father had truly been a werewolf and she survived the bite because of it, it gave Elena and Clay hope, it gave us all hope.

Kim moved in her sleep groaning, almost slipping from my grasp but I held her tight. The Change was close; we all knew it, that's why Elena went through the basics with her earlier. She needed to be ready. It was also one of the reasons why I was staying with her tonight, in case she did Change, but I was also here because I wanted, needed, to gain her trust, and I seemed to be doing just that. This morning she'd shied away from me embarrassed, but when I moved towards her at seeing her eyes glistening with tears she hadn't pulled away. Maybe she just needed to be held or maybe she was starting to trust me, I didn't know. Only when she told me to stay with her did I start to truly believe that she was starting to trust me.

I felt Kim shake violently under me, her muscles contracting faster and her bare skin starting to shimmer, the hairs on her arms growing and retracting wildly. It was time.

Kim's POV

"Kim, sweetheart, wake up," I heard Antonio call but I was too lost to find my way to him. Everything was so confusing, so dark. "Kim, please, wake up," Antonio said pleadingly. He sounded so helpless. I needed to get to him. I pulled myself out of the darkness and opened my eyes to find Antonio looking down at me with his heart stopping brown eyes flooded with worry. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw me open my eyes, but I could barely keep them open. The pain in my body was excruciating.

I felt Antonio lift me up in his arms and my eyes flew open. "What are you doing?" I hissed through the pain. What the hell did I do to deserve this? I looked down at my arms and saw them shimmering and contracting. Oh shit. I was Changing. A sudden fear ran through me and I started struggling against Antonio. I couldn't do this, I just couldn't. Elena had warned me that it would be painful; I hadn't thought it would hurt so much, though. Antonio held me tight against his body ignoring my struggles.

"It's okay, sweetheart. You're going to be okay, I'm here for you," he said in a soothing tone and I felt myself relax slightly at his reassuring words but the fear of the Change didn't leave. I felt the cool night air surrounding me and suddenly noticed we were outside. I was going to Change in the forest. My heart started skipping at the thought, doubling the pain that ran through me. I heard Elena's voice somewhere in the background but I couldn't make out the words with all the blood pounding in my ears and only heard Antonio reply, "She's Changing. You should go get ready."

Antonio took me to a clearing in the woods and dropped me gently behind a bush. I knew what I needed to do. Elena had explained it all, but that didn't mean I wanted to do it. I didn't have much of a choice, though; I could feel the Change coursing through me, pulling at my tendons, sending wave after wave of pain. Antonio stepped away from the bush, turned around and sat down, so his back was to me, giving me the privacy I needed, but still close enough so I knew he was there. I felt a rush of gratitude towards him but it was quickly swept away with a fresh wave of pain.

Focus. Antonio is here if you need him but you have to do this alone. Okay, so, one, take clothes off. I quickly stripped form the pyjamas Elena had gotten me and shoved them under the bush, not even bothering to fold them. Thankfully, I'd taken my necklace off before getting into bed so I wouldn't have to worry about losing it. Two, get on all fours. Three, keep legs and arms straight but flexed. Four, focus on the Change. Right, how exactly? The pain was growing, clouding my brain, and making thinking very, very difficult.

I kept my head down like Elena had instructed and tried to relax my muscles without success, but I knew I had to do it somehow. I wouldn't Change if I was uncomfortable. I breathed in, out, in and out. It didn't work, so I concentrated on my muscles as they continued to knot and contract and the hairs on my arms growing and retracting in quick succession. I only ended up feeling sick, though, and puked to the side. I heard Antonio growl in frustration but he didn't move. He probably wanted to help me, I don't know, but I needed to do this alone. I could feel the sweat pouring out of every single one of my pores but I focused on the Change, closing my eyes this time, and then it hit me. A pain so excruciating I was sure I was going to die. I knew it was going to be painful but this was pure agony. I tired to scream but my vocal cords were twisted from the Change and I only managed a guttural sound of pain. I don't know how long the pain lasted but every second was a second too long. And then, it ended.

I collapsed onto the ground, my new limbs unable to sustain me. I laid on my belly, eyes closed and my head on my… paws. I opened my eyes slightly and saw that I did indeed have paws. I did it. I Changed. I could feel the wolf start to take over and I was too exhausted to even try to fight, not that I wanted to anyway. I stayed there, gathering my strength, as I breathed in the forest air, my senses keener now that I was Changed. I could pick up the scent of the trees and the humidity of the forest and animals on the light breeze that ran through my fur. My fur. I opened my eyes again and saw that my fur was the same shade of dark brown that my hair was when I was human.

I slowly got up getting a feel of my new limbs and looked around. Even though it was the middle of the night, I could see almost as well as if it were the middle of the day. Some of the colours, however, were muted and some were brighter than when I was in human form. I breathed in again and caught an animal scent on the wind, it was close and I was so hungry because of the Change.

I tried to move forward but my limbs gave way and I fell face first into the dirt. I heard a chuckle from behind me and quickly got up, spinning around and fell, my limbs tangling with the turn. The chuckle turned into a booming laughter and I looked up to see a familiar man looking down at me with a smile playing at his lips. He moved towards me, hand stretched out before him, and I growled at him pulling my ears pulled back but he kept coming. When he was close enough I finally picked up his scent. Antonio. I immediately cowered away from, recognizing him as the better wolf, but he just kneeled down before me and placed a hand on my head, scratching my ear. I closed my eyes at the pleasure and then licked his hand in gratitude. He chuckled again and then took a hold of my head with both his hands and looked me in the eyes. He said something, but I couldn't understand it. When I didn't respond he repeated himself and I concentrated on the words trying to decipher the human language.

"Stay here, Kim," he said still holding my head, not letting me look away submissively. "Stay here. I'll be right back, but you have to _stay here_," he said adding extra emphasis to the last to words. I nodded in his hands and it felt odd to do so in wolf form, it felt wrong somehow. Antonio seemed content with my response, turned around and left. I whined to his back and he stopped for a moment and then continued forward.

I rush of wind ran through me and I picked up the animal scent again. I wanted to go look for my meal but Antonio had said to stay here and I knew I had to obey him. In wolf form the need to obey the older, stronger and all together better wolf was much stronger than in human form. I sighed, another odd action in wolf form, and lay down on my belly again, waiting for Antonio to return. I could smell the vomit from the Change and I shifted so my sensitive nose wouldn't pick it up.

Only a few minutes had passed, when I heard a crunch a few feet behind me. I got up and spun around and managed not to fall this time. I looked up to see a pale blond wolf looking down at me. I quickly dropped to the floor, my head between my paws, giving the wolf before me my submission. The wolf leaned down and sniffed my head and I recognized who it was when I picked up her scent. Elena. She continued to sniff me and circled my entire body and then, on my left flank, gave me a nudge with her muzzle giving me permission to get up.

I lifted myself off the ground just as two more wolves appeared before me. One was a dark brown much like my own and the other was golden blond. I lowered myself to the floor again, cowering away from the massive wolves in front of me. They both came forward and leaned down to smell me. I picked up their scents immediately and recognized them as Antonio and Clayton. They followed the same route Elena had just made around my body, and then Clayton was the one to nudge me in my flank telling me to get up. I lifted myself again but was quickly brought down by a heavy weight on top of me, my nose filling with Antonio's scent. I rolled to get him off and turned to find him moving towards me again. I turned and ran, hearing him dashing behind me.

As I ran through the forest I could pick up more and more of the scents that the woods had to offer. My heart pounded in my chest as my paws flew across the forest floor with Antonio nipping at my heels. He then pounced on top of me again, sending us flying through undergrowth. We tumbled together taking nips and jabs from one another until we heard a soft growl to our right calling us to attention. We stopped immediately and went over to Elena and Clayton. Once we reached them, Elena made a show of sniffing. I lifted my nose into the air and breathed deeply and caught the scent of an animal on the wind and my wolf brain recognized it as prey, but it also knew that I would not be the one doing the killing. Elena took off abruptly through some underbrush and Antonio and I followed Clayton tracking the scent of the animal. I knew how we were going to capture the prey; the scheme was ancient one engrained in my wolf brain.

We moved slowly through the forest, making as little noise as possible, so as not to alert our prey. When the scent became stronger, we came to a clearing and in the middle was a lone deer. I wanted to run straight for it but Clayton and Antonio were in charge, I needed to wait for their permission before I took off. I waited impatiently as Clayton got into place in front of me. Suddenly he pounced forward and ran for the deer, Antonio following closely behind with me at his heels. We ran through the woods, not caring how much noise we made anymore, caging the lone deer in, Clayton on its left flank, Antonio on its right and me at its heels, nipping it whenever it slowed down. Without warning, I saw Elena jump from behind some trees and land on the deer's face, just like I knew she would. Once she had it pinned, she chomped down on the neck killing it instantly.

I fell back once I saw the animal was dead and sat down, waiting for the superior wolves to have their fill, before I could even begin to eat. It wasn't politeness, it was just engrained in my brain that I had to wait, no arguments. Antonio looked from the deer to me as he made his way towards the food and then changed course. He went around me and pushed me from behind. I growled telling him to back off, that it's okay, that he should go eat, but he ignored me. He kept pushing until I gave in, my hunger getting the best of me.

I know I probably should have been repulsed by eating a raw meat from its source but the wolf had taken over and I ate without any problems. Once we had all had our fill, we moved to a nearby clearing and Antonio sat down next to me, licking the blood from my muzzle as I cleaned his. Clayton and Elena we're on the other side of the clearing doing likewise. When we finished, I laid down, sleep pulling at me. I was exhausted from the Change and the run. Antonio lay down beside me, giving me his warmth. I was asleep within seconds feeling the protection of the Pack around me.

* * *

><p>I awoke with the crisp morning air eating at my skin. I opened my eyes and blinked into the sunlight. As I stretched, I noticed that I was now in human form. Oh. Just like Elena had said. Wait. Didn't she also say that I wouldn't be waking up alone? I sat bolt upright and looked around and found, to my dismay, that I wasn't alone. In fact, to my right, only a few centimetres from my body, lay Antonio with one arm shielding his eyes and the other right next to my right leg. I briefly wondered if he'd held me like he had when we'd been in the bedroom and prayed to the gods that that had not happened. It was embarrassing enough for him to do it while I was clothed, but naked… God, he had a beautiful body. He was so well-toned, so muscled. I instantly blushed, my heart pounding in my chest and tried to get up but Antonio's arm pulled me down.<p>

"Relax, sweetheart. I won't look if you don't want me to," he said keeping his left arm covering his eyes. I breathed a soft sigh of relief, knowing he would keep his word. The relief didn't last long, however, as I heard a soft moan from behind me and turned to see Clayton and Elena curled up together just as naked as Antonio and me. Elena was the one that was stirring and she opened her eyes to see me looking horrified at her.

"Kim!" she said and quickly untangled herself from Clayton, who let out a groan of protest, and made her way towards me. "I'm sorry. I should have made you Change last night," she said, her apology written all over her face.

"It's okay," I said keeping my eyes on her face, "Can we just, um, can I just go get my clothes, please?" The wolf was still in charge of me but I was slowly pushing it back into the background, however, I still needed to ask for permission before I moved. She nodded and helped me get up. She motioned me forward and I started moving with her following me closely.

"Elena," we both heard Clayton call from the clearing, but Elena didn't so much as turn around.

"Stay there, Clay," she ordered in her Alpha voice as we continued to walk bare foot and naked through the forest. Thankfully, she covered me from behind so the men wouldn't see me if they looked at us. Not that I was entirely comfortable being naked around Elena but it was way better than being naked around naked men. She had been right, however, the men were in excellent form but I had been able to see that all their bodies were scared, Clayton and Antonio's more so than Elena's. I wonder if that's what my body was going to like in twenty years time. The thought didn't totally disturb me. I didn't have a beautiful or remarkable body in any way so I doubted that a few scars would damage it.

We finally reached the part of the forest where my clothes must've been because I could pick up Elena, Clayton, Antonio's and my own sent around here but they were faint. I followed my own scent to the bush where Antonio had left me to Change and found my pyjamas under it slightly smeared with dirt, but I didn't care. I quickly dressed as Elena went to find her own clothes. As I waited for her, I remembered what I'd done the previous night.

I'd Changed into a wolf. If there had been any doubt left of what I was, it had died the moment I Changed. I closed my eyes as I leaned against a tree. It had been so painful. My muscles still ached slightly but I ignored the pain, well, it wasn't really pain, I now knew what real pain was. How could I ever go through with that again? How could any of these people go through with it willingly? Not that they had much of a choice, I had started Changing in my sleep and probably would have Changed right there in the bed if Antonio hadn't taken me outside.

I heard the forest floor crunch beneath heavy footsteps and I turned to see Antonio fully dressed, thankfully. He smiled at me with his trademark smile and I smiled back. I have no idea why. I was just in the mood for smiling despite everything that had happened. Maybe I was finally at peace with what I had become even with the dangers that came with it. My life had changed, there was no changing that now, and I was going to have to get used to it. I trusted the man that stood before me but that didn't mean I was going show him the real me. Even Abbey hadn't seen the real me. I was too broken and he'd probably drop me off at the broken toy disposal if he saw it. I needed to be careful.

Antonio moved towards me and embraced me. I hesitated slightly, not understanding why I had warranted a hug, but quickly returned it and was rewarded with a soft chuckle from Antonio. I had always wanted and needed hugs in my life, for someone to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay, for someone just to be there for me. If being with the Pack meant I could get these hugs without it seeming abnormal then I was going to take advantage of it as much as possible.

"I'm glad to see that you actually enjoy Pack embraces," Antonio said as he let go of me and held on to my shoulders, looking down at me with a smile. "Elena hated it at first but she's gotten used to it." I just nodded, not really knowing what to say.

"And who says I don't enjoy them now?" we heard Elena say from behind me and I turned to see her walking towards us fully clothed. She was smiling at us and when she got to where we were, she shoved one of Antonio's hands from my shoulder and placed her own. "I told you they would coddle you. Just wait until you meet Nick, he will be all over you," she said winking at Antonio. All over me? What the hell is that supposed to mean? "Come on. Let's get back to the house. I sent Clayton back to make sure Jeremy didn't attempt to make us breakfast," she said turning around and starting to head towards the house.

"Good thinking," Antonio said as he guided me forward, following Elena. "Is, uh, is Jaime here?" he asked sounding slightly nervous. Who the hell is Jaime? Hadn't she been here the other day, when I'd been in the forest with Antonio?

"Yes," came Elena's answer after a moment's hesitation. I saw Antonio nod out of the corner of my eye but he didn't say anything. We made the rest of the journey to the house in silence, while I briefly wondered where the hell Jeremy had been in the last 24 hours.

Once we reached the house, I ran upstairs for a much needed shower, dressed in some workout clothes because we would be continuing with my training and then headed back downstairs. I walked into the kitchen and only found Clayton by the stove making pancakes. They sure loved pancakes in this house. Clayton turned around and I was already expecting him to scowl or glare at me as usual, but he just nodded and mumbled a 'good morning' and then went back to the pancakes. I stood there by the door not understanding a thing. What the hell? Had his manners finally found their way back from their walkabout? I was still staring at Clayton's back trying to figure him out, when Antonio came in and saw me, confusion still etched on my face.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked away from Clayton and shook my head. Clayton turned around again and Antonio raised an eyebrow at him. Clayton just shrugged and went back to making breakfast without a word. Whatever. The guy probably had mood swing problems, so what? Antonio moved forward and grabbed a couple of plates already filled with pancakes and motioned for me to grab some as well. I grabbed a pair and then followed him to the sunroom. As I sat down, Antonio asked, "Did Clayton say something to you?"

"Just 'good morning'," I said, hoping he would understand my confusion but he just burst out laughing. I stared at him, wondering why what I had said had been so funny. Clayton and Elena walked in then and stared at Antonio as well. The man was having a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Clayton asked sounding annoyed. Elena, however, just smiled at us and took a seat.

"You are, Clay. You and your manners, or lack thereof," Antonio said once he'd regained his breath. Clayton scowled at him and he glared at me irritated.

"All I said was 'good morning'," he drawled before sinking his fork into his pancakes. Antonio just laughed some more at his comment and even Elena let out a chuckle.

We ate the rest of breakfast in silence since we were all pretty hungry from the Change and the run from last night. Once I finished, I followed Elena into the study where Jeremy was waiting for us with a woman. She looked to be about forty with beautiful red hair tumbling onto her back, piercing green eyes and a slender but curvy figure. Her Oscar winning good looks made me wonder if everyone I was going to meet in this world was going to be good looking enough to star in Hollywood blockbusters. Hold on a sec. There were only two known female werewolves in the world, or so Elena and Jeremy had said, so who the hell was this woman? Did she know she was in a house full of werewolves? Didn't Jeremy say that humans could never find out about werewolves, that it was forbidden to tell them?

"Kim, this is Jaime Vegas," Elena introduced and I stepped forward to take the hand Jaime had offered me and breathed in her scent. Human. Her name sounded faintly familiar, though, but I couldn't remember from where.

"A pleasure to meet you, Kim," Jaime said with a kind smile. I could feel Jeremy's eyes on me, assessing my reactions.

"Same here," I said and returned her smile. I looked at Jeremy as I let go of Jaime's hand and nodded a greeting to him. He nodded back and I turned to Elena and she nodded to me as well with a smile. She motioned for me to follow her and I did. I followed her outside and into the forest again, and just like the previous day, we stretched in the clearing. I didn't comment on the odd introductions she had just made with Jaime and waited patiently for her to explain.

"Jaime isn't human, Kim," she finally said as we finished our stretches and began to jog. "She's a necromancer."

"And what's that exactly?" I asked calmly. I knew it meant something about death due to the use of the Greek word _necro_ but I couldn't even begin to imagine what the word meant or why she wasn't human because of it.

"It means she can see and speak to the dead. She's a supernatural, just like us," she said. Before I even had time to process what she had just said, she began to tell me about half-demons, witches, sorcerers, necromancers, shamans and vampires, all supernatural races, just like werewolves. She talked about their powers, something about an interracial council, a witch coven, sorcerer Cabals, and so many other things that I felt like my mind was about to implode with so much information. A part of me was sceptical to believe her but then I reminded myself that I was a werewolf after all, so why the hell couldn't there be witches, vampires, half-demons and who knew what else out there?

By the time we reached the clearing to stretch out, she was talking about the interracial council and the role it played in the supernatural world. It acted much like the Pack but at a much larger scale, monitoring all supernatural incidents throughout North America, when suddenly she said, "Oh and Jaime is, well, I guess you could say Jeremy's, um, mate." Oh. That would explain why he'd been watching me so intently, making sure I didn't hurt his, um, _mate_. I nodded to this and she continued to talk about the council, now talking about its members.

When we got up to go back towards the house, she finally stopped assaulting my brain with supernatural information. That didn't mean she didn't have anything else to say though. "Sorry if Clayton startled you with his manners this morning," she said and I looked over at her to see her smiling as we walked into the kitchen. I just shrugged. So the guy has a few loose screws, don't we all? Elena just laughed at my silence and said, "Clay wasn't being rude to you in the beginning, hon. He was just being Clayton. Yes, I know he didn't think you were very smart at first but after being able to communicate with his son in scientific language, talk with his daughter through music and showed him you have the promise of being a good fighter, well, let's just say he's grown a bit of respect for you," she said smiling at me as she made herself some sandwiches. I still said nothing. I wasn't really used to earning people's respect, much less from people like Clayton. I heard Elena sigh softly and I looked up from my sandwiches to see her studying me. "There's something you should know, Kim. Clay, he's, uh, not like the rest of us. He was bitten too but he was bitten at the age of five or six so the wolf inside him is stronger than in the rest of us. That's why he can be a little… overprotective at times." I'll say. That would explain his tendency to play family bodyguard.

"And the Pack took him in as well?" I asked and Elena thought about her answer before giving it to me.

"Not exactly. Antonio's father, Dominic, was Alpha back then and the Pack wasn't like what it is now," she said.

"I know. Antonio told me how Jeremy's reformed the Pack for the better," I said and Elena looked relieved at not having to tell me this herself.

"Yes, so Jeremy took him in but he had been alone for so long that he was completely wild. Jeremy had to domesticate him and then convince Dominic that he wasn't a threat to the Pack," she said and I nodded accepting what she'd just told me. I'd learned way too many things today to even begin to wonder what being bitten at the age of six could do to some one.

Once we finished our snack—five sandwiches a piece—we made our way downstairs to the weight room and continued my training with Antonio and Clayton. After a few hours, Jaime called us upstairs for lunch and I ate so much that I was grateful for my werewolf metabolism that made sure all this food didn't go straight to my ass and hips. I then went upstairs and showered again, coming downstairs to find Antonio waiting for me in the foyer, announcing that I was going to have to find Clayton today. Oh joy. It wasn't as difficult as I had expected. Clayton tried to trick me on several occasions, going over his older scent trails mixing them up. Thankfully, I was only tricked once and found him on my second try. Antonio, who had accompanied me this time, declared that I must have a good sense of smell just like Elena. Whatever that means. I mean, don't all werewolves have a good sense of smell? Well, better than humans anyway. Once I had found Clayton, they made me try and find Elena. She didn't make it as difficult as Clayton had and I found her on my first try.

We then went back to the house and the twins, home from school already, dragged me to the dinning room to help them with music and physics again. I didn't mind though. It was nice to have something other than training and supernatural thoughts flooding my mind. When dinner was ready, the kids helped me set the table as they informed me that they had swimming lessons tomorrow and asked if I wanted to go with them. Antonio saved me from having to answer them by telling them that they would be going with uncle Nicky. The thought of their uncle coming to see them distracted them from me and I sent a thank you smile to Antonio which he returned.

After dinner, I went with Logan to the sunroom to help him with physics, since I'd spent most of the afternoon with Kate's singing, while she had a bath. Logan informed me that we had a lot of time to focus on the Universal Gravitational Law and its possible applications because Kate loved baths and spent a lot of time bathing. He wasn't wrong. By the time Kate showed up in the sunroom it was almost supper time and my head was flooding with equations that I'd thought I'd never have to use again form the moment I graduated from high school.

I was too tired to even consider waiting for supper so I went to the kitchen, grabbed some fruit and went up to my room. I had just slipped into my pyjamas when I heard a knock at my door. As always, I gave the person behind the door permission to come in and in strode Antonio.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" he asked as came he came towards me. He always seemed to want to know how I was feeling or if something was wrong. He really did care, I guess.

"Okay," I said honestly, "I'm… handling it." Which was true. I was handling everything that had been thrown my way from the moment I was bitten. I half expected to breakdown at any moment from information overload but I found that I wasn't taking it as badly as I should be, or how a normal person would react. Maybe I should be screaming, raging and storming against the horrible truth that had been revealed to me in the last few days, but I couldn't. The truth was there, I knew it, and so what was the point in raging against it?

Antonio suddenly pulled me to him embracing me and I hesitated again. Why was he hugging me? I wasn't crying again, was I? No, I wasn't. So what was he doing? Maybe he just needed a hug; I sure as hell did need one. I hugged him back fiercely and felt his arms tighten around me. He then kissed the top of my head and I froze. Antonio noticed that something was wrong and he quickly let me go.

"I'm sorry," he said worry clouding his eyes; "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, sweetheart. It's just that I do that with my own children," I nodded and then frowned. Was I uncomfortable? No, he'd just surprised me is all.

"No, it's not that," I said looking at my feet, "I'm just, er, not used to it." Hopefully he'd understand what 'it' meant exactly. I still didn't totally understand why I was being so honest with him but I couldn't even bother pondering this, it just was. I looked up to watch his reaction and saw conflict, confusion and then determination in his eyes. He pulled me to him again but I didn't hesitate this time. After a couple of minutes I pulled away, before I fell asleep in his arms. Antonio looked down at me and must've realized why I'd pulled away and guided me towards the bed. I crawled in under the covers and he lay down beside me.

"Are you sure you're not uncomfortable, Kim? I can leave—"

"No, it's okay. Like I said, I'm just not used to it, but I don't care," I said and looked up and gazed into his beautiful brown eyes. He studied me for a few minutes before nodding and pulling me to him again. I knew I should be feeling uncomfortable, to say the least, with Antonio being in the same bed with me and all his coddling, but a part of me still needed a _father_, I guess, and he was the first person to even come close to the image of a father that I had imagined. In fact, he was everything I would have wanted in a father, kind, patient and caring. I just had to remember that he wasn't my father, he was someone else's and that mine had decided long ago that I wasn't worth his time.

I pulled away from the depressing thoughts and focused on Antonio's breathing. I quickly relaxed and sleep took me.

Antonio's POV

She was so strong, both mentally and physically. She had survived the Change and had accepted the existence of other supernaturals without so much as a blink. She was brave; she was affronting the truth face to face and didn't seem at all fazed by its magnitude.

She sighed in her sleep and I wondered what had made her the way she is now. I had realized she was broken, very broken inside. She had been trying to hide it from the moment she arrived, but whether from the wolf in her or her trust towards me, she has let me glimpse it, and I was going to do everything in my power to mend her. I already had experience with broken children but first I would need to know what it was exactly that broke her. Was it her parents? How could she not be used to hugs and kisses? What kind of parents doesn't hug or kiss their children? I knew she wasn't an abused child, at least, not that I could tell, but her relationship with her parents had been thin, if it even existed that is. But I could tell she needed the hugs, as of they were reassurances that everything was okay. Every time I gave her a hug I tired to transmit the message that I was here for her and that I wasn't leaving, but I was. Tomorrow I had to go back home and see the boys. Nick had told me that Max was pissed but I think that was an understatement.

I looked down at Kim while she slept and wondered what she would do once she was ready and her training had ended. I didn't want her to leave; I cared too much for her to watch her leave the Pack unprotected and alone. But if she stayed, where would she go? Would she stay here at Stonehaven? A part of me wanted to take her with me, another member for the Sorrentino Home for Wayward Werewolves. I smiled. She'd probably go crazy from living with so many men. I sighed as I pulled Kim closer to me. Maybe one day she would be ready and I could ask her to become part of my family, although, to me, she already was.


	9. Ch 9 Less Than Ordinary

_* **SuperNatura1985 **has written a one shot that details Antonio's trip home titled **Home Sweet Home**. Please read another amazing one shot from an awesome writer. _

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_I'd also like to ask you all to please read the story _**About Noah,**_ which is a collaborative project between _**SuperNatural1985**_ and myself. __The story is based on what we have read about Noah, in _Frostbitten _and _Hidden_, and is a second attempt at the original story __**About Noah**__ originally published on SuperNatural1985's profile. _

Ch 9 Less Than Ordinary

I awoke once again with Antonio's scent surrounding me but this time I knew he was still here. Hard not to know when he was holding you in a tight embrace against his chest. I didn't move and tried to enjoy the feeling of having a protector, at least that's what the wolf called him. The little girl in me, however, gave him another name. I knew I needed to get over this, I was too old to want or need a father, but the little girl in me still needed what she had never had and the wolf whole-heartedly agreed. My muscles tensed at these thoughts and I felt Antonio's arms pull me closer to him, reassuringly, as he drew circles into my back with his fingers.

"Relax, sweetheart. You're safe here," he said in a soothing voice. I felt myself loosen up at his voice and continued to drink in the comfort of his embrace. I don't know how long we lay there for but I eventually pulled away from him in desperate need of a shower.

"I need a shower," I said and was about to jump off the bed when he grabbed my arm but gently, he was always so gentle with me.

"Wait, there's something I need to tell you," he said and I turned to look at him, his face a mask of apprehension. "I'm leaving." My heart sank. He was already giving up on me. He must have seen just how broken I really was and decided someone else could take care of me and that I wasn't worth his time. I quickly hid my reaction with a nod and went to get off the bed again but he held me tight. "Kim, look at me." I closed my eyes and turned around to face him again, opening them to find his eyes filled with worry. Why was he always so worried around me? "I'm leaving but I'll be back on Friday. I just need to go home to see my sons."

Of course. His sons. Just how many did he have? That's probably why he's such a good father figure. I found myself feeling envious of his sons. They probably didn't even realize how lucky they were to have such an amazing father. Naturally, he would want to go see them. He had spent too much time away from them already. "How many do you have?" I asked, voicing my previous question.

"Four," he said with a smile. _Four_? Antonio chuckled at my incredulous look and said, "Two sons, Nick and Max, and two foster sons, Noah and Reese, but they are all essentially my sons." Oh. Did he run a foster home for werewolves or something? I was about to ask just that when he continued, "The Pack took Reese and Noah in when they had nowhere else to go. Since I have a bigger house, they came to live with me." A bigger house? Bigger than Stonehaven? Would they expect me to go live with Antonio if I stayed with the Pack? A part of me sure hoped so. Another part of me, however, probably the rational one, was calling me an idiot for wanting to go live in a house full of men.

"Don't you miss them?" I asked. I had never missed my family when I had gone away but that's probably just because we barely had any relationship. I could tell that the man before me, though, loved his sons, so I knew he must miss them.

"Terribly, but they don't require me by their side 24/7 and you need me here, so I'll be here with you for as long as you need or want me here," he said with a sad smile. I stared at him, not believing what he'd just said. He was putting me before his sons? Was he insane? Possibly, otherwise why would someone put me, of all people, before their sons? I wasn't worth the time nor the bother for that, but he seemed determined.

"Why?" I asked in a trembling voice. I could barely speak so I hoped he understood my question without really elaborating. He did.

"Because, sweetheart, you need me," he said caressing my cheek with his hand, wiping away a tear I hadn't even noticed had fallen, "and I want to be here for you." I still didn't understand but for some reason he cared. I'd already realized this before but I hadn't really discerned just how much he cared. A lot it seemed, probably more than anyone ever has, besides Abbey. Once I realized this, I pounced forward hugging him fiercely, tears streaming down my face. He hesitated slightly at my embrace, catching him off guard, but he quickly returned the hug full force kissing me lightly on the head, which just brought more flood waters to my eyes.

After a few minutes, I finally pulled away wiping away the last tears and seeing that I'd left his dress shirt filled with them. "S-sorry," I sputtered at seeing this, but Antonio just shook his head, helping me wipe away the tears.

"I don't care, sweetheart," he said and I knew he meant it. "I need to go get ready. I'll be leaving as soon as Nick arrives." I nodded not trusting myself to speak yet. He smiled down at me before moving forward and kissing me on the forehead. I blushed furiously as he turned, getting off the bed, and walked out the door.

He was an amazing man and probably, no, definitely an extraordinary father. I sighed at my childish thoughts and got out of bed. I had a quick shower and dressed almost as quickly. I was about to leave when I saw my necklace on the bedside table. I grabbed it and slipped it on before going downstairs. I knew it was just a nuisance to have on while I trained but I couldn't bring myself to not put it on. I had had a necklace around my neck for as long as I could remember, the charms changing throughout the years. The scarab I was wearing now had only been with me for little more than a year but it probably held my only happy memories from the last year. I sighed as I walked down the stairs. I'd just have to remember to take it off before training.

As I made my way through the hallway, I could hear voices coming from the kitchen. I could make out Antonio, Elena and another man I didn't recognize. I opened the door but it stopped half way, colliding with an object that let out an _ouf_ sound at the collision. A body. Whoops. I heard Antonio's booming laughter from within the kitchen followed closely by Elena's. I opened the door again, gently, in case I hit anyone else, and slipped inside. Antonio and Elena were sitting by the island counter and behind the door was a man nursing his shoulder.

"I'm so so—," I began but the apology died in my throat the moment the man looked up. He was _gorgeous_. Well, okay, that's an understatement but I could not think of a better adjective under his amazingly beautiful gaze. He was obviously related to Antonio, sharing his heart-stopping brown eyes, wavy dark brown hair and his thousand watt smile. He stood half a head taller than Antonio, though, and wasn't as muscular but he was well-toned, very well-toned. I swear I would've swooned at the sight of him if I didn't have so much self control, well, in this area, at least. That doesn't mean I didn't blush, a lot.

"You must be the beautiful Kim I've been hearing so much about," the man said, beaming down at me as he moved towards me. I felt my cheeks heat up some more at his compliment, not from shyness though but from embarrassment. The guy was probably blind if he thought I was beautiful. Poor bloke. "Nick Sorrentino," he said, offering me his hand and sending his scent my way. Werewolf, obviously. The wolf tried to pull me down, to make me cower away from Nick but I pushed the urge back. I wasn't going to cower away from anyone anymore. I couldn't help it in wolf form when the wolf was in control but I was human now, or mostly human anyway, and I would not shrink away. I would, however, be submissive; I wasn't stupid, or that stupid, and the reaction was already etched into my wolf brain, after all.

I took Nick's hand and shook it, averting my gaze, when finally his name clicked. Nick Sorrentino, Antonio's son. No way. There was no way in hell that this guy was Antonio's son. Antonio looked to be in his late forties at the most and this guy looked to be about in his mid thirties. As I let go of Nick's hand, I looked over at Antonio trying to figure out if I had somehow misjudged his age. He chuckled slightly at my confusion and slid off his stool, coming towards me and placing an arm around my shoulders.

"We didn't tell you about the slow aging, did we?" he asked, smiling down at me. I shook my head and looked back at Nick. He was surveying Antonio's arm around me and seemed surprised with his closeness with me but quickly hid it with a smile.

"How could you not tell her the best thing about being a werewolf?" Nick said, shaking his head, in mock dismay. I heard Antonio start to answer him but the door opened behind us and in walked Clayton and Jeremy.

"What's so funny?" Clayton asked as he made his way towards Elena, who was smiling over at us, and sat down next to her. Jeremy followed suit, sitting on Elena's other side and grabbing some fruit as he watched us.

"Your new protégée just slammed the door into me, that's what's so funny," Nick said shaking his head in mock dismay again. "You really need to teach her that werewolves don't use weapons." Clayton rolled his eyes at him.

"Give me one month and she'll be able to kick your ass without the use of weapons if she wanted to," Clayton drawled as he focused his attention on the food before him, bacon, eggs and toast.

"Is that a bet?" asked Nick. I felt Antonio squeeze my shoulder slightly, as if trying to comfort me, as I heard a soft growl vibrate through his chest.

"Want to make it one?" Clayton asked, lifting an eyebrow at Nick in challenge. Nick looked over at me and took me in, starting from my head heading all the way down to me toes and up again, making me blush furiously again. He smiled and turned back to Clayton.

"You're on," Nick said and I heard Antonio's growl grow louder.

"Enough," Antonio said and Nick looked up at him, smiling cheekily, only to look away seemingly embarrassed. Clayton, however, didn't so much as blink at Antonio's growl. Still holding me by the shoulders, he steered me towards the island counter and served me a plate of breakfast. I knew I should feel embarrassed about him treating me like a princess but it just felt so good. "Coffee?" he offered once he had passed me the plate full of food.

"No, thanks. I, er, don't drink coffee," I said and looked down embarrassed. I probably should have left off that last part. For some reason I always got weird looks for my likes and dislikes.

"Orange juice, tea?" he asked and I looked up to find no weird looks just his trademark smile. I really should stop thinking the worst of him. Hard to do when every time I hadn't thought the worst of someone it was when I got hurt the most.

"Tea, please," I said returning his smile. His smile brightened even more, if that was even possible, and prepared me an English breakfast.

"Don't you Aussies call tea a coopa or something like that?" Nick asked as he sat down beside me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. From the moment I arrived to the States, people had asked stupid and ignorant questions about Australia. They saw it like a place where kangaroos were running around in your backyard to have killed for dinner every night, dingoes all over the place chewing on humans and blazing deserts everywhere you looked.

"Cuppa," I said and didn't bother to elaborate. Nick frowned at me slightly but I ignored him as I concentrated on my breakfast. I wasn't being rude on purpose, but his question had just brought forth memories where I'd been asked similar questions and it hadn't ended very well. In fact, those conversations had turned into teases that would later become insults. The question had also reminded me of home. Too much pain for just one question but I hid it from my face as best I could as I ate.

For the rest of breakfast Nick tried to engage me in conversation but I didn't take the bait. Eventually, Antonio hissed at him something that sounded like _abbastanza_ and he stopped trying. He then turned to Elena and started asking after the kids. Elena told him that I was helping Kate with her singing and Logan with physics, and he looked surprised at this.

"We have a singer _and_ a physicist, then?" he asked raising his brow my way, but I just shrugged. To qualify as a singer you had to be good. I honestly didn't know if I was good since my mother had said that I sucked and Natalie, my teacher, had said I was excellent. So, I suppose the truth lays somewhere in the middle, neither good nor bad, just average. I did know, however, that I was an okay physics student. I saw Antonio look over at me, frowning slightly. He must have noticed my mood but said nothing.

As soon as I finished eating breakfast, Antonio came towards me and asked me to go with him. I followed him from the kitchen to the front yard. As we passed through the foyer, though, I saw a small suitcase and knew he would be leaving soon. He sat down on the porch steps and motioned for me to sit next to him.

"I'm sorry about Nick," he said as I sat. "He can be a little childish sometimes, so can Clayton. If he gets out of hand or you feel uncomfortable, just tell him and if he doesn't take the warning, give him a good kick in the ass," he said, grinning, and I wasn't sure if he was joking or not. I just nodded but said nothing. "Kim, look at me, please," he said and I looked into his eyes as he studied me. "Are you alright?" I nodded looking away and biting my lip. "Kim, please talk to me," he pleaded and I gave in. If I told him then maybe he would warn everyone else to avoid these types of conversations with me.

"I just, um, don't like talking about my home," I said in a small voice. I fixed my gaze on the yard before me but Antonio said nothing. I felt his arm go around my waist and I leaned into him closing my eyes. Somehow his embraces always made me feel better.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't know. But you need to know that you cannot lie here, Kim. You have to tell us if something is wrong so we can fix it. We want you to be happy," he said. I froze in his arm but quickly relaxed. The Pack would take care of me, help me, train me and they wanted me to be happy. I could trust them but I still needed to be careful. My judgement had been misguided in the past but I had learned from my mistakes. I truly felt like I could trust the Pack. I needed to trust the Pack.

I heard footsteps coming from inside the house coming towards us and I pulled away from Antonio. I would be beyond embarrassed if I was found like this with him. It was enough that they knew I was sleeping with him, so to speak. Antonio didn't seem surprised by my reaction and swiftly got up and offered me his hand. As he pulled me up, Elena came out the front door.

"I should get going," he said and turned to me. "I'll be back, sweetheart, okay?" he asked softly as he lifted my chin so he was looking into my eyes. I nodded quite aware that we were being watched. He smiled and turned to Elena giving her a hug and saying goodbye, before going inside.

Elena smiled at me and said, "Ready?" I nodded and followed her to the forest to begin our jog. As we ran she explained the werewolves' slow aging, meaning that by the time we reached 30, we would always look about 10 years younger. I'm not sure how I felt about that. I wasn't a vain person so it didn't affect me in this aspect. Once our jog was over, we had our usual snack and then I went to the basement alone to continue my training with Clayton.

I was a bit nervous at first at the thought of being alone with such a strong man, but it quickly disappeared as he taught me different moves on how to incapacitate attackers. I briefly wondered if he really thought that I would be able beat Nick in a fight. I knew I couldn't, no matter how much training I received. Nick had all the advantages, height, weight, strength and experience. But I kept my doubts to myself and absorbed everything he taught me. I knew that the world I lived in now demanded I know this, or else I wouldn't last long.

After lunch, Clayton made me track Nick. I wasn't as familiar with his scent, which was probably the point, but he hadn't made it very difficult so I found him on my second try. "A mighty huntress," he said when I found him. I just smiled. From what I had seen so far he was a good guy and he was Antonio's son after all. As we made our way back to the house, he asked me about my hobbies and I told him what I told everyone, the obvious that is, so I wouldn't give a lot of myself away. Music and reading. He asked me what authors I read and what artists I listened to and I gave him a few short answers before he took the hint and changed the subject. He then asked what kind of clothes I liked. I was a bit surprised at the subject but hid it quickly, and responded. I was surprised to find that he knew more about clothes and designers than any girl I had ever met, though. I briefly wondered if he was gay. It didn't matter, not to me at least. The doubt evaporated once I saw him looking at Elena, well, her ass more specifically.

I spent the afternoon with Jeremy, since the kids had gone to swimming lessons with Nick and their parents. He asked me to tell him about my first Change and I told him, the wolf recognizing him as my Alpha already and it knew that when he asked for something it wasn't a petition, it was an order. As I told Jeremy about the experience, he tried to explain the wolf's behaviour as best he could. While we talked, I realized that he was in total control of his emotions at all times. He was patient, from what I could tell, and the wolf recognized these traits as powerful and tried to get me to cower away, but I held my ground. Yes, he was a powerful and strong man and maybe I should be afraid of him, but the human was still in control of the situation and knew that there was no cause for fear. For now.

It took me a while to fall asleep that night, Antonio's absence more palpable now than it had been all day. I had grown too accustomed to his presence at night but I would have to get used to it. He had said he would be back but what if he went home and found that he couldn't leave his sons again? I wouldn't blame him but I'd miss him, a lot more than I cared to admit.

* * *

><p>The next day followed the same routine as the days before. While we jogged, Elena told me a bit about the Pack's past. When it was created, why, how, by whom and so on. From what I gathered, I was extremely lucky to have been bitten in this century. I wondered why she was telling me all this. If I decided to leave after my training had concluded, then the Pack would have a mutt with inside information on it. Maybe they really did believe that I was staying or the information wasn't as important as I thought.<p>

By the time the kids got home, I was exhausted. Clayton had put me through exercises that had made all my muscles ache, even ones I hadn't even known existed. But from them I was supposed to gain more flexibility, which would be an advantage for me in a fight with larger werewolves, or so he said. However, I still helped the kids out, like always. Logan was now working on force fields and Kate was starting on a new song.

Nick watched as Kate and I warmed up and ended up bursting with laughter at one of the exercises, the same one I'd laughed about with Kate on the first day. We had to stick our lips out and make noises following the musical scale, making our lips vibrate, thus loosening them up. I just ended up with a sore throat from laughing, though. Nick's laugh was really contagious and I have to admit that laughing made him look much more attractive.

We stopped laughing when Logan sent us a warning look. _Singing is okay, laughing is not_, it said. I had to bite back my laugh at realizing that Logan's look was more worthy of a teenager than a seven year old. Of course, most seven year olds aren't capable of understanding the complexity of conservative force fields. I then asked Kate to show me her new song. I had to hide my astonishment but I didn't do a very good job because she noticed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking worried at me. Nick looked up from the other end of the table concerned.

"Nothing. It's just that, uh, this is a difficult song. Did your teacher send you this song?" I asked, hearing the doubt in my voice. No sane teacher would send this song to a seven year old, no matter how good she is.

"Yes, because I told her that I have an excellent private tutor at home that can teach me everything I need to know," she said, smiling at me. I blushed furiously at her words. I wasn't used to compliments and I knew Kate was speaking her mind, which I was grateful for.

"Okay, but I'm going to need a laptop and speakers," I said, my cheeks still heating. I grinned back at Kate, but she looked confused. I smiled again and said, "If you want me to teach you how to sing this song properly, I need a piano and, since you don't have one, I can download a piano program onto a computer instead." She grinned once she'd understood and quickly left the dinning room in search of her parents, screaming for them the moment she was out the door. I looked over at Logan and saw him roll his eyes at his sister's childish behaviour. I bit back another laugh and looked over at Nick. He was studying me intensely so I quickly looked away, unable to gold his gaze.

"Do you think she should learn to play the piano?" Nick asked. I nodded, still not meeting his eyes, the wolf not letting me.

"Yes, or the guitar, but I think the piano would be better. It isn't necessary for a singer to know how to play an instrument but, if she's serious about music, maybe Elena and Clayton should consider signing her up for classes. I know seven year olds are serious about everything they do but maybe in the future, if she really does want to pursue music. So, I think it would be best to just lay out the possibilities to her, leaving all the doors open for her to make the choice when she's older," I said and mentally kicked myself. What the hell, Kim? Since when do you give your opinion away? What makes you think he even wanted it? I blushed at the realization and was about to start apologizing when I looked up at him and saw that he was smiling at me.

"Do you know how to play? The piano, I mean," he asked. I blinked, wondering where this had come from, why he wasn't blasting me for my excess opinion making, but responded all the same.

"Yes, I've taken classes since I was six," I said and mentally cringed. Again, Kim? Do you think this guy is interested in knowing about your life? But I couldn't help it. I felt the truths flying from my mouth as if I was talking to Antonio, which disturbed me a bit, but Nick seemed like a good person. So far, he was the only one that was trying to get to know me, from what I could tell, or maybe he was just curious, which was probably more likely. I could trust him, I knew that, but, like with Antonio and everyone else, I needed to be careful. I doubted I would be able to survive another crack on my window before it finally gave way and collapsed. But I couldn't help but still be fearful of people's reaction when I spoke about myself. So many aspects of my life had been made fun of and insulted, that I was sometimes ashamed if them. Like my singing and piano playing.

My grandmother had been the one that had signed me up and paid for the piano and singing lessons, when she saw that I had great potential. Her words, not mine. When we moved to the States, though, my mother had made me choose between them. I chose singing, obviously, and continued to teach myself piano with the academy's piano and, once my mother pulled me out of the academy, I played with the school's piano, which soon became my safe haven while I was there.

"Kim?" I heard Nick ask and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped and looked up to see him standing before me. Damn. Zone out much, Kim?

"Sorry. I was just…" I trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

"Thinking. It's okay," he said, smiling down at me and giving my shoulder a squeeze before sitting down next to me. I nodded as if accepting his touch but quickly stopped. Did I accept it? I guess I did. It felt so odd to accept being touched by near strangers but the wolf felt protected here so I couldn't really complain, nor did I want to. "Anyways," Nick said, bringing me back to Earth, "I was just asking if you think you could teach Kate to play the piano."

"Um, I guess so. I'm not a good teacher, but…I guess I could give it a shot. If I had a piano that is," I said. No, I wasn't being modest, I was telling the truth. I wasn't good at neither singing nor piano playing but I could teach Kate the basics, though I'd have to convince her parents to get her to some classes before I screwed up.

I stole a glace Nick's way and saw that his eyes were twinkling and his was smiling a swoon winning smile. Before I could ask what he was thinking, though I think I already knew, Kate came rushing in with her parents behind her, hauling the material I had asked for. They set everything up without any questions about why I'd asked for this. Kate had most likely already told them but wouldn't they want confirmation from Nick or me? The truth hit me like a bucket of ice cold water. Because they trusted her, they trusted their daughter. I'd watched the kids with their parents and, of course, I was envious of the relationship they shared. I had been seven when the relationship with my mother had begun to slip away and disappear. The twins had parents that dedicated time and love to them. Something I'd received little or none of from mine. But trust? My mother hadn't even trusted me with the time.

I hid my emotions as best I could and concentrated on downloading the program I needed. The picture that I found on the desktop wasn't helping though. It was a picture of Elena, Clayton and the twins playing in the snow. My envy grew but I was happy to know that the children were well looked after.

Once the program was ready, Elena sat down beside Nick and Clayton went to sit over next to Logan, asking him what he was working on. Great. Now I had an audience. I tried to ignore them as I hit the notes into the keyboard and showed Kate what notes she had to hit. Once she'd gotten the hang of it, we went through the song, stopping when we hit the higher notes and repeating them over and over again until she got it right. Once we'd gone through the entire song once more without stopping, Nick and Elena started clapping. Kate looked very proud of herself and I smiled at her.

Nick then asked me if I would sing them a song but I refused as politely as I could. I always hated singing in front of people because it made me feel like I was standing naked before them. I sang with my heart and felt like I was giving it away the moment I opened my mouth to start singing. No one seemed surprised by my refusal, for which I was grateful.

By the time I went to bed, I was convinced I could trust Nick as much as I trusted Antonio but he didn't have the same air of father figure that Antonio had, so it was harder to be myself around him, well, as much as I could at least.

I lay in bed for a while thinking about the day. Spending the afternoon with the kids, laughing, had felt so good. I hadn't laughed like that for a while and it felt weird to have done so here, in a house full of werewolves who I barely knew. Maybe I could attempt to be happy for the time I was here. I still had no idea what I was going to do, but for now, maybe I could try and enjoy the company of such trusting people. Their lives seemed to be so perfect, that I found myself wishing that someday I could have a family of my own that accepted and loved me. Maybe I would. Someday.

* * *

><p>I felt hands grab my sides and start tickling me furiously. Nick's scent engulfed me and my eyes flew open to find him over me, grinning mischievously. I tried to push him off through my laughter but to no avail. He was too strong for me. Somewhere in my mind, I knew this was wrong, that he shouldn't be on top of me, much less be touching me, but I gave way to the wolf. The wolf trusted Nick and so did the human, but the human was being cautious. <em>To hell with caution<em>, I could feel the wolf say.

After a while, Nick pulled back and sat on the bed, grinning at me. I smiled back, through my huffing and puffing. I knew in that instant that he knew I trusted him. Otherwise I probably would have been screaming at him, well, a normal person would have been screaming, I would have been telling him to please go away. Screaming, yelling and swearing were reactions that I had learned to hide and push back long ago. They were buried deep within me and I had no idea what it would take to make them come out, and I think I didn't really want to know.

I suddenly saw a flash of motion to my left and a figure jumped on top of Nick, pinning him to the bed and tickling him mercilessly. Antonio. I felt my smile widen and I didn't even bother to hide it. I was happy to see him and I wanted him to know it. Really? And what makes you think he's happy to see you? The doubts flooded me as I watched father and son tickle each other. Eventually, Antonio took mercy on his son and backed off, turning to me. My smile had faded but it returned the moment he looked at me. He was happy, I didn't know why, nor did I care at that moment, but I went over to him and hugged him. Deep down, I felt stupid and helpless at letting him know how much I'd missed him, but I didn't care. Maybe later, I would, but not right then. He returned the embrace, chuckling slightly and I felt hands go around my waist, pulling me away from him. Nick pulled me to him, so I was sitting on his lap, and tickled me savagely. Antonio watched us with a smile playing at his lips.

Nick eventually set me free and I collapsed on to the bed, breathing heavily. I couldn't even muster the energy to think that this was wrong. I shouldn't be in a bed with two full grown men tickling me but the wolf was wide awake right now and it was having the time of its life. But my shyness was starting to slowly kick back in. At first I was appalled, but then I couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. Nick had come to me and started the tickle fest which means he liked me, right? And who the hell would like you, Kim? Doubts flooded me again but there was nothing I could do to change what had just happened.

I looked at Antonio and saw him smiling at me again but I could see that he was studying me, waiting for my reaction. Nick was doing exactly the same thing. So they weren't sure how I would react. I didn't either. It was so confusing. I wanted this to be okay, the wolf knew it was okay, that older wolves indulged younger ones in games like this, but the human was still pulling at me, telling me that this was wrong, that ordinary people don't do this. But I wasn't ordinary, not anymore. I stopped being ordinary the moment I was bitten by Justin Turner. I looked at the men before me and smiled. They both hesitated slightly before returning it.

"Well, I better get going," Nick said. He flashed a smile my way and put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, before getting off the bed and heading towards the door. He opened it and turned around, saying, "I'll be back next week and I'll be bringing you a surprise." His eyes twinkled, and before I could even respond, he said goodbye and left the room. Antonio shook his head and then turned to face me again.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Okay," I said, "Did you have fun with your sons?" I'm not sure if I wanted to know the answer. What if he'd only come back to tell me that he was leaving and wasn't coming back? I hated myself for my lack of self confidence but there was nothing I could do to change it. Nothing in my life had proved to me that I was worth the time or the bother. Yes, I'd had Abbey and my grandmother, but I've always considered them exceptions. Was it really possible that I'd encountered another exception with the Pack? God, I hoped so. This road was going to be difficult enough without having to worry about being accepted. But had I been accepted? God damn it, why was this so fricking complicated?

"I did, but I'm glad to be back," he said as his eyes twinkled like his son's. "I'm happy to see you get along fine with Nick." I shrugged. Until this morning I hadn't had any close contact with him and yet I hadn't pulled away. Again, it was all just confusing as hell. "Have a shower. I'll wait for you downstairs," he said now and I nodded, still confused.

I went to the shower the moment he left and meditated under the hot water. The wolf felt comfortable with all the coddling I was receiving and so did the human, but mostly because it was something that I had never had and always wanted. Still the human knew it wasn't normal. But I wasn't normal, I was a werewolf. I was less than ordinary, so maybe these less than ordinary actions and feelings were okay here. It sure seemed like it. Even though their reasons behind the coddling still eluded me, perhaps I could get used to it. There was no denying that I enjoyed it, both human and wolf.


	10. Ch 10 Pack Bonds

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

**The Climb – Miley Cyrus**

I can almost see it  
>That dream I am dreaming<br>But there's a voice inside my head saying  
>"You'll never reach it"<p>

Every step I'm taking  
>Every move I make feels<br>Lost with no direction  
>My faith is shaking<p>

But I gotta keep trying  
>Gotta keep my head held high<p>

There's always gonna be another mountain  
>I'm always gonna wanna make it move<br>Always gonna be a uphill battle  
>Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose<p>

Ain't about how fast I get there  
>Ain't about what's waiting on the other side<br>It's the climb

Ch 10 Pack Bonds

Kim's POV

The morning after Nick left, Elena went to my room to find Antonio had stayed the night. I had stopped wondering whether it was okay for him to stay with me, I enjoyed the comfort of his company way too much to care anymore, despite what my instincts said. He kept coming back so it was obvious he didn't mind, or so I hoped. Elena shooed him from the room and then gave me a bag full of womanly objects. I never thought that I would ever be so happy to see tampons and depilatory wax.

The next day, I Changed again. I didn't feel like I needed to but that was the point, Elena had said. I had to learn control. It took me a while but with Elena's and Antonio's help I managed to do it. This time though, Jeremy Changed with us, since Jaime had already left, and Clayton stayed with the kids. My reaction to coming face to face with Jeremy was the same as when I had come face to face with Antonio and Clayton. I cowered away from him, lying on my belly and placing my head between my paws. He wasn't as large as Antonio when he Changed, but he held himself proudly and irradiated so much power and authority that there was no way you could not submit to him. Once the run was over, Elena made me Change back. It was easier than I had expected. Maybe it was because I had been trying to think like a human by concentrating to understand her words as she spoke, I don't know, but I Changed back without any major problems. The pain didn't disappear, though. It was there when I Changed to wolf form and when I Changed back, reminding me that it was an unnatural process.

During the next few weeks, the bond between me and Antonio grew. Every night, he came to my room, asking me how I was and if anything hurt from training. We would sometimes spend hours at night talking, even if I was too exhausted to contribute anything to the conversation and just let him do all the talking. He would talk about his home and his sons. He mostly spoke of Nick, though, since he was the only one I had met. He told me about his company and I was able to deduce the obvious. He was rich, very rich, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered to me was that he was willingly telling me about his life. In fact, it seemed like he actually wanted to tell me about his life and his family. We never talked about my family, though. He once tried to get me to talk about it, asking after any siblings, and I answered him honestly, but he realized that I was not going to open up about my family or my past before I was bitten, so he avoided the subject completely from then onwards. He was also careful to never talk about my home again and for that I was forever grateful.

He was always very gentle with me; as if he were scared I would shatter with a too hard touch or a too raised voice. Every time he came to see me at night and it was obvious we were falling asleep after hours of talking, he would always ask if it was okay for him to stay or if I was uncomfortable. It was always okay and I was never uncomfortable. His arms around me always made me feel so protected and the wolf loved it. Deep down, I knew this was wrong, way wrong, but, like I said, I—or the wolf, I wasn't sure, maybe both—enjoyed his presence way too much to care anymore, even though I knew I should. I also knew that I should be weary of the strangers around me, but with each passing day, they were becoming less strangers and my trust in them grew, despite my better judgement.

I spent almost every evening with the twins, except when they went to their swimming lessons. Those days, I would be with Jeremy or Elena, absorbing more information about werewolves, mutts, the Pack and the supernatural world. Sometimes I felt my brain kick in its heels and scream for me to snap out of it and look around, that this was not normal and I shouldn't believe a thing these people said. But it was no use. I was in way too deep to get out even if I wanted to.

The following Wednesday, Nick arrived again shortly before Antonio was due to leave, sneaking up behind me in my room as I talked with Antonio and giving me a bear hug. I froze for a moment, unsure of what I was supposed to do, and then Nick started tickling me and I relaxed. These were good people. I wanted and needed to trust them. Besides, I had already decided that I was going to enjoy the time I had with them as much as I could while I could. Nick eventually let me go and smiled at me as I moved towards Antonio, seeking protection. Antonio chuckled and then lunged at his son, tumbling them to the floor as a play fight ensued. I couldn't help but laugh as I watched them. It felt as if I'd known them for more than a couple of weeks and it just felt so good. I wondered if this is what a werewolf family is supposed to be like, the bonds being stronger than human ones and all.

Finally, Antonio let go of his son that he had pinned beneath him and was tickling savagely, and got up. He came towards me, hugging me, and whispered his promise of returning, as if it would convince me he would come back. It didn't, but I accepted his promise anyway. As he left, I blushed as I realized that Nick was still in the room. I imagined it would be odd to see your father coddling someone that wasn't his child but I reminded myself that Pack bonds were stronger than those normal families had but still, I wasn't Pack. But I knew I would have to make a decision soon even if they weren't pushing me to make it.

I was suddenly forced out of my thoughts as Nick took my hand and led me out of the room, smiling mischievously. My cheeks heated once more but I didn't let go. Pack bonds, remember? Or maybe this was just Nick, who knew? During his last visit, I had seen him very close with Elena, more than I'm sure should be permitted, but Clayton had been with them at the time and had not seemed at all perturbed. Pack bonds, I guess. Or just Nick. I let him lead me to the study but I stopped in my tracks, pulling him to an abrupt stop beside me, the moment I saw that something was definitely different about the room. Very different. There was now a beautiful shiny black piano on the right hand side, just beside the windows. I felt Nick give my hand a tight squeeze before letting me go but I barely registered him. I slowly walked towards the piano and ran my hand over it. It would be so nice to play. I closed my eyes, imagining myself sitting here, playing and singing, feeling the keys under my fingers as they danced along the keyboard. It had been so long since I had played. Would I still remember how?

"Do you like it?" I heard Nick ask from right beside me. I turned to him and nodded, not able to speak right then. He smiled at me and said, "Well, then I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to play until later. Elena will kick my ass if you don't get out there soon." I nodded again and started to make my way to the door when I stopped and turned around.

"Thank you. You don't…you don't know what this means to me," I said softly without meeting his eyes. He didn't know that the piano and the singing were the only things that my grandmother had given and left for me. I saw Nick's feet approach me as I stared at the floor and he stopped just two feet from me. He then pulled me to him, just like his father always did, embracing me in a bear hug once more. I forced the tears that were threatening to roll down my face back, though. I didn't want to break down before Nick. I didn't want him to see how broken I was even though his father had already seen.

"If you ever need anything, Kim, to talk or anything at all, just give me a shout, okay?" he said as he pulled back, holding onto my waist, and I instantly looked away. He had no idea what those words meant for me. I nodded, taking a step back and looking at the floor. I turned around and left the room then, leaving Nick standing there. Why was everything here able to get to me? Had this happened back in Holland I would have kept a straight face and not even have blinked. Maybe it was all the time that I was spending with Antonio and, after all, Nick reminded me a lot of him. I wasn't sure if it was safe for me to be me yet but I was going to give it a shot, hiding as best I could the broken me.

That afternoon, when the kids came home, I played the piano again. God, how I'd missed it. I didn't sing though, I still felt uncomfortable doing that before these people. Well, I felt uncomfortable singing before anyone that wasn't Abbey, so I played while Kate sang. Once we were done, Clay and Elena came over and gave her a hug, sandwiching her between them. I watched them with envy flowing through my veins and then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to find Nick smiling down at me and, without warning, he grabbed me around the waist, plucking me off the piano seat, and pulled me to him, embracing me. I was a bit surprised at first but I quickly returned the hug, simply because I needed it after seeing Kate with her parents. But then I suddenly realized what I was doing and quickly pulled away. Had we been alone I would not have cared but I did not like being so affectionate with other people around. Whether because I couldn't rid myself of my past with my mother or because I was still uncertain that they accepted me, I didn't know, maybe both. Nick didn't seem at all perturbed by my reaction and just smiled down at me as he went over to Kate and hugged her as well.

Sometimes, Nick would come to see me at night during his short visits and would sit with me, just talking for a bit. He'd tell me about what he did for his father's company, about his home, which I'd already heard much about, and about New York. He quickly realized that this interested me and he was soon informing me on all the major and non major sites that the City had to offer. He then did something I had totally not expected. He promised to take me to New York. He chuckled as I stared at him when he said this, scepticism clearly etched on my face. I loved New York and I'd always wanted to go but I had never had the chance. It was just one of those places you just had to visit before you died, at least, that's how I felt. I had already been to Barcelona, London and Paris. I still needed to go to New York, Rome, Florence and Prague. I wished I could believe Nick right then and I did, partly, but I still didn't know what my future had in store for me. I still had a very big decision to make.

Nick never stayed the night. The moment he realized that I was falling asleep, he would bid me goodnight and leave. He probably thought that I would be uncomfortable sleeping with him, so to speak, but I honestly don't think I would care. With each passing day, the wolf within me grew and I was able to control it for the most part. Elena told me, however, that some wolf instincts could not be controlled no matter how much I tried. For example, should I be in a high stress situation and if I were to be attacked, the wolf would push me to retaliate and there would be nothing I could do to stop it. Action and reaction, with no time to second guess the latter. I took all this in stride though, letting the wolf help me accept it. The human still fought against it at times, but every time its voice grew fainter and fainter, its strength waning as I grew accustomed to the wolf within me.

Every time Antonio came back after going home, I noticed that he was distinctly happier than when he had left. I knew he missed his sons but when I had tried to convince him to spend more time with them, he had asked me if I still wanted him here. The question had caught me completely off guard but I had been honest with him since I found myself incapable of lying to him. Yes, I still wanted him here. So he would stay, he had said. Of course, his words had sent tears to my eyes but I no longer cared. I trusted him. He had seen the broken me, well, some of it, and had not left me. The fear didn't entirely disappear though. So many people had turned the backs on me that it would be a while before the fear completely ebbed.

My training continued over the weeks; as did my morning jog with Elena and my afternoon tracking session. I was soon capable of distinguishing scent trails with only hours of difference. On the third week, they started taking me into Bear Valley so I could start tracking scents in a city or town that had a whole host of different scents all mixed together like a cocktail. A bad smelling cocktail. At first, the scents of the town and the people were all too mixed up for me to distinguish which one was the one I had to follow but I forced myself to focus, even though I could feel the wolf's curiosity in the back of my head, its need to explore new territory, but I kept it in check. It took me all afternoon, with Antonio by my side, to find Clayton, who had not exactly made it easy, but at least I'd found him. It was challenging but that just made it all the more fun for some reason. It was probably the wolf within me, seeking challenges to prove itself to the older and stronger werewolves, but it might be just me trying to prove to myself that I wasn't worthless. It kind of worked. Kind of. Antonio and Elena's steady stream of encouragement could not vanquish my lack of self confidence that had grown steadily and non-stop for the last decade. Clayton never said a word of support though, which stung. Somehow I felt I needed his approval more than Antonio's or Elena's but I had no idea how to earn it nor if I'd even be able to. Nick was never present at my training lessons when he was at Stonehaven because Clayton said that he would try to gauge what moves I would do while fighting him. Antonio later explained to me that the boys always took their dares and bets very seriously, as he had learned from a dare Nick had sent Clayton on when they were kids and Clayton had ended up with a broken arm.

By the end of the third week of training, Clayton started changing the routine of my training. I would spend an hour or two with the punching and kicking bag, then he would make me fight Elena and then I would work out with the weights. I had not been keen on fighting Elena, but Antonio had explained that this was the best way to learn how to fight, by trial and error. The first time it didn't go so well. Elena pinned me in less than thirty seconds but I found that I was able to quickly analyze her movements and avoided being pinned for about two minutes by my fifth try. Later that night, Antonio told me that I was a natural fighter and that he was proud of me. His words had filled me with warmth and I don't think he realized exactly what it meant that I trusted him and the Pack. For someone that had barely trusted her own shadow, this was big. Yes, like I've said, I trusted Abbey from the moment we met, but this was an entire group of people in a world I was practically thrown into. Still, the wolf was helping the human accept this and it became easier with each passing day.

My Changes were not any easier than the first one I had gone through but I was able to Change when I was told to, twice a week, always when Antonio was here. I awoke several more times surrounded by naked men and it didn't stop disturbing me, but they always respected me and put distance between themselves and me once I woke up, keeping their eyes averted from my body. Elena was sympathetic with me about this and always offered words of support and encouragement when she led me away from the grotto of naked men. I knew I was going to have to get used to it though. I wanted to stay, there was no denying that fact, but I put off making the decision for a while.

On the last night of October, though, I decided that it was time to make the decision. I had been here for almost a month now. I now knew that these were good people and the Pack was trustworthy. I guess I could say that I was happy here, I had become very close to Nick, Antonio and the twins. Elena was like a friend to me but there was always a barrier between us because she was the Alpha elect and the title demanded I respect her. Still, I knew there were other Pack members I didn't know yet but I wanted to stay, the wolf wanted to stay. The human wanted a family and the wolf needed a Pack. Whether I could find a family here I had no idea but I wanted to stay all the same. My trust in these people was stronger than any I had ever had for anyone other than Abbey. Yes, I wanted to stay. I pushed back any stray thought about the family I had left behind and voiced my decision.

"Tonio?" I said as I lay against Antonio's chest while he held me against him. He had noticed that I was somewhat distracted today and had let me think while he accompanied me in silence. Sometimes he was just so understanding with me, all I wanted to do was cry, wishing that I had known him before any of this had happened.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he said as I felt the vibration through his chest. I took a deep breath and then rounded up the courage to speak.

"I want to stay," I said softly. I felt his fingers stop moving against my back as he stiffened. Had I said the wrong thing? I pulled away from him and sat up on the bed, looking down at him, watching his reaction. What I saw had not been what I had expected. He was happy, very happy. His eyes twinkled as he shone me his trademark smile and then sat up, hugging me fiercely. I hugged him back and immediately felt accepted. I knew I was precipitating myself, that I still had to tell Elena and Jeremy, but I couldn't help it. Antonio had been more of a father to me in these last three weeks than my stepfather had been in eight years. I didn't tell him how I felt though, it was just too embarrassing. He then pulled away from me and looked me in the eyes as he held my face with his large hands.

"Do you have any idea how happy you've just made me?" he asked softly. I shook my head in his hands. I had never have thought I'd be able to make anyone so happy with just four words but I could see in his eyes that he was ecstatic. "I was already trying to think of ways to convince you to stay," he said and I just stared at him. He wanted me to stay. A part of me knew I should doubt this but I couldn't, I just couldn't. I wanted to believe that he wanted me, so much. My eyes teared up then and Antonio pulled me to him once more, wrapping his arms around my petite body. I cried tears of joy into his chest as I heard him chuckle lightly before rubbing my back, trying to calm me but I felt so elated, so happy, that I couldn't relax. Eventually, sleep took me in his arms once more.

The next morning after breakfast, I went to the study and told Elena and Jeremy my decision to want to join the Pack. Elena smiled at me from the couch she was sitting on and nodded, Jeremy just nodded and welcomed me to the Pack. And that was it. I was now Pack. I would remain at Stonehaven for now though, since my training was far from over and I still had many things to learn, more so now that I was Pack.

I still couldn't help but wonder how they had accepted me. I knew good people existed in the world and the people I had met at Stonehaven were living proof of that but it still seemed so surreal to me. I was now a werewolf, a female werewolf, one of three known female werewolves in the world. My life had changed. My priority before being bitten had been to get the hell away from my family and go to uni far away from them. Now my priority was staying alive. I wasn't naïve and the Pack didn't try to sugar coat the reality of my new existence. I was in permanent danger, always, because I was a werewolf and a female.

After speaking with Elena and Jeremy, Antonio admitted to me that he had been afraid that I would leave and that something terrible would have happened to me. For the last three weeks, Tonio had looked after me like no man ever has. And that has changed me. In a small way but still. My fears and insecurities remain as does my lack of confidence in myself and my image, but they have ebbed, ever so slightly, over the last few weeks. He and every one else at Stonehaven have accepted me so quickly and without even knowing me, that it made me wonder if I had somehow done something to the people at school to have made them treat me the way they had. Perhaps I'd deserved it and I hadn't even realized it. And my mother? Every time she had looked at me she had probably seen the consequences of having unsafe sex, but I have no idea, maybe she just didn't like me or my sister. It didn't matter. I couldn't change the past, it defined who I was now, but I could form a future albeit a dangerous one in a dangerous new world, but I didn't care. I had been given a second chance. My fears and doubts remained but maybe with time I could heal the brokenness I carried inside, or maybe I couldn't, but I was going to try.

Antonio's POV

I watched her as she fought Elena in the front yard, dodging and side stepping to avoid being pinned and trying to catch Elena off balance. She had only been here for three weeks, just three weeks, and the change in her had been drastic. She trusted us and from the way she had acted when she first got here I knew that she had trust issues. She had taken a leap of faith and decided to trust us, to trust me. The wolf was strong in her, as it should be for someone who had just been bitten, but she was able to control it. Maybe it was the wolf that had helped her decide to trust us or maybe it was just her, I don't know. The important thing now was that she trusted us and she was staying.

We hadn't wanted to push her into making a decision; after all, we had all the time in the world. But the knowledge of knowing that she could decide to leave at any moment had been eating at me for the last three weeks. I have no idea what I would have done if she had decided to leave but I knew that I would have done everything in my power to keep her safe. My love for her has grown as has the bond between us. Maybe that should have convinced me that she was staying but it hadn't. Every time I left for home, I worried that I would come back to find that she had left so I had always promised her that I would be back. However, I knew that no one at Stonehaven would have permitted her to leave before she had the wolf under total control.

Nick had taken to her, of course. He treated her like a little sister, indulging her from the very first moment with the piano and then a promise to take her to New York. I should have taken that as a sign that she was staying but I hadn't. I knew better now. I could see that Kim liked Nick but I had yet to find a woman that could resist his charms. She didn't seem perturbed with his physical closeness with her. He sometimes grabbed her hand when walking beside her, like he did with Elena, but she didn't seem to mind though. The wolf in her was strong, like I said, so she understood Pack bonds, but I knew it embarrassed her when someone was watching, just like it embarrassed her for me to hug her with other people in the room.

Kim was an enigma. I could not understand what could have possible made her the way she is. Compliments on her appearance would make her blush furiously but I could always see conflict in her eyes, as if unsure whether to believe us or not. She disliked talking about her family and the place she called home, Australia. She used the piano for emotional release from what I had been able to see. She needed encouragement as well. That had become plainly obvious from the moment I had said that I was proud of her and she'd almost burst into tears. She was broken inside and her emotions were out of control at times. Jeremy had said that on their first meeting she had been calm. Even during my first encounter with her in the forest, she had been able to keep her reactions in check. Until she had said goodbye to her family. After that it seemed like her walls had come crashing down and they kind of had. The world as she knew it no longer existed but I knew there was more behind it. Her confidence was thin at best, whether because of her family or because of some other reason, I didn't know, but I wanted to help her. Now that she had decided to stay I would help her. It'd be easier if she was living with me but I wasn't sure if she was ready or if she would agree. I doubt living in a house with five men sounded appealing to her but I would give her the chance to choose but not yet.

Jeremy had finally given me permission to tell the boys about Kim but I wasn't going to say anything, not yet. Later this week, Morgan and Karl were going to come and meet Kim to begin her integration into the Pack, and then it would be the boys' turn. We were going to have to be careful with the boys though. Max probably wasn't a problem because of his sexual orientation but we couldn't be sure. Wolf instincts were hard to control at times.

The last few weeks had not been very easy at home. Though Max had accepted that I had to be away it didn't mean that he liked it. Noah and Reese were also starting to worry with me and Nick being away so much but we had told them not to worry, that nothing 'bad' had happened and that they would know in due time. Yes, one could argue that being bitten is a bad thing and it normally is because of the hell one goes through shortly after the bite. But Kim had not gone through it. She was in control of her Changes and of the wolf. Now more than ever we were convinced she had some supernatural gene in her DNA, most likely werewolf, but we hadn't told her the truth yet. We would and soon, but not yet.

I looked over at Kim again as she struggled to gain advantage on Elena to no avail. Elena had all the advantages but Kim was a natural fighter. Even Clay had been impressed. She probably reminded him of himself, though he would never admit it. She had progressed rapidly in her training, mostly because Clay was pushing her to the limits due to the bet he had made with Nick, but if she wasn't as good as she was, he wouldn't have gotten her this far. I suddenly saw Kim stumble slightly but it was enough for Elena to gain advantage and pin her. I smiled as I saw Kim accept Elena's hand up and then start again.

Yes, I loved Kim. She had become my daughter from the moment I met her but it had taken me a while to realize it. A daughter, who would have thought? I hadn't expressed my feelings though. I felt as if I might scare her away. I was always very careful around her. She seemed so delicate, inside and out, and I didn't want to hurt her. Nick had joked the other day that I was practically treating her like a princess and I kind of was. I looked over at Kim again as she dodged a blow from Elena and smiled. Yes, Nick was right, she was my princess and I would look after her no matter what.

Kim's POV

I walked down to the kitchen following the smell of pancakes hungrily. Antonio had left that morning because of some emergency at work. He had been reluctant to leave and had promised me that he would return. I wasn't sure why he kept saying that but it made me relax a bit but the doubt still remained within me. He missed his sons. I could see it in his eyes whenever he spoke about them and I wished he could spend more time with them, but he insisted on staying. I couldn't help but be silently thankful for that.

I opened the door to the kitchen, not expecting to find anyone because of the lack of voices and noises, and stopped abruptly in my tracks. I felt my mouth fall open as I stared at the scene before me. Nick was giving Elena a kiss that was definitely not allowed between friends, especially if one was married. Elena then pulled away and saw me. She looked horrified for a moment and then turned to Nick and then back to me.

"Kim," she said but I just stared at her. Elena had not seemed the type to do something like this; after all, she had children. "Kim, this, um this isn't—" She cut off as Clayton walked into the kitchen then but it didn't seem to fluster her. She kept her eyes on me as she tried to continue but Clayton cut her off.

"What's wrong?" he drawled as he grabbed a plate of pancakes and started eating, but keeping his eyes on Elena and me. I looked over at Nick to see if he seemed guilty about what he'd done but I just saw his smiling at me.

"Kim, Pack bonds, remember? I was just saying hello," he said but I just stared at him. His smile widened then as he turned to Elena who nodded. Okay, whatever. I shrugged and went straight to the island counter and grabbed a plate of pancakes, sitting in front of Clay. I was okay with his hand holding and hugging and all but there was no way I was going to let him say hello to me like that. Or I'd be putting Antonio's advice to effect and give him a good kick in the ass. My fork froze half to my mouth as I realized what I'd just thought. Since when did I give people a good kick in the ass? I shook my head and kept eating. I guess Clay's lessons were affecting me more than I cared to admit, then again, I did live in a werewolf world now. Besides, the wolf agreed that that would be the best way to handle Nick should that happen but I doubt it would. Somehow it would just be wrong for a fifty year old to stick his tongue down a nineteen year old's throat. I also suspected that Antonio would not be happy about it.

When I went for my jog with Elena later, she explained that Nick was just being Nick. That they had always been like that but it meant nothing, it was just Pack bonds. I wondered what Clay thought but he didn't seem to mind at all, so I let the subject drop. As long as he didn't do it to me, I was happy. I just wondered what the kids would think if they saw them like that. Hmm.

That night, we Changed and it was the first time I Changed with Nick and not Antonio. It was different. I was still submissive to Nick but I just lowered my head and averted my eyes. For some reason, the pull to give my full submission to him wasn't as strong as with the others. Maybe it was because I knew that in less than two weeks time I would be fighting him or because he didn't seem as frightening as Clay did. Or maybe because he was more submissive and less dominant than the others, I don't know. He was as playful as his father though. The moment I was submissive to him, he started a game of 'you're it' until Elena called us to attention to start the hunt. We didn't Change back though, once the run was over, and I awoke to find myself in between Nick and Elena. I flushed immediately at seeing Nick's perfect body and quickly looked away in case he woke up. He wasn't, as I'd already noticed, as muscled as his father but that didn't mean he didn't have an amazingly sculptured body. I also realized that he didn't have as many scars as everyone else; he had less than Elena even. The fact that everyone here had amazing bodies made me feel very inadequate but I knew that it wasn't their intention. I extracted myself from the tangle of limbs and quickly went in search of my clothes and then back to the house. The others didn't appear until I was already having breakfast with Jeremy. Thankfully, no one mentioned my morning escape and Elena nodded to me when she came into the kitchen. I figured it would be a while before I got used to the naked bodies and all and I knew that the sooner the better now that I'd joined the Pack. It wasn't the wolf that pulled me back on the subject though, it was the human and it wasn't something I could ignore. Besides, my insecurities with my body had far from disappeared.

That afternoon, Elena introduced me to the Legacy, a yellow paged, fragile looking book kept in a secret compartment that held the history of werewolves and, most importantly, the North American Pack. It contained a mix of history, lore and genealogy, dating back several centuries. As I read through it, I was once again thankful to have been bitten in this century and not in the late Renaissance, when the Alpha of the Pack had been looking for ways to have better sex and found it by killing the woman near the end. I soon reached the end of the book to find a genealogy tree of the modern Pack. The Sorrentino and Danvers family could be traced back all the way to the beginning of the Legacy, but I also found several blips near the end, that is, names with no names before or after it. I was surprised to see that they had already added me but I shrugged it off. I was Pack now. Besides me, the only other blip was Reese Williams, one of Antonio's foster sons. I found it odd that his other foster son, Noah Stillwell, was beneath a Joseph Stillwell, since Antonio had said that they'd taken him in. Elena and Clay had been blips as well, since they'd both been bitten, but underneath their names were those of their children, Logan and Katherine Danvers. Underneath Antonio, I found Max and Nick, but then something caught my attention. Beside Nick's name were the initials LKB in parentheses. I frowned at the page as I wondered what they could mean. No other name in the Legacy had anything like it.

"Elena?" I asked, calling her attention. I was sitting on the couch beside the fireplace as she worked on her laptop on another couch. Clay and Nick had taken the kids to their swimming lessons. "What do the initials beside Nick's name mean?" I asked once she had looked up. She hesitated, obviously reluctant to answer.

"Those are Nick's mother's initials," she said softly. I looked at her confused. She had already told me that during Dominic's rule as Alpha, Antonio's father, all sons that were fathered by Pack werewolves were to be taken from the mother and raised by the Pack. No exceptions. So why would Nick's mother's initials be included in the Legacy? As I continued to stare at her, she gave in and told me the story.

Antonio had fallen in love with Nick's mother when he'd been sixteen years old while at school. This was against Pack law it seems. After a year of a secret relationship, she became pregnant. Tonio had told his father in the hopes that he would understand and accept this. He hadn't, leaving Antonio one choice. He ran away with Nick's mother. While they hid, Jeremy tried to fix things between father and son and then Nick was born. Three months later, Antonio had his first Change. Elena skimmed over the details here but I got the picture. Antonio realized his mistake and one day, he took his son and left the mother an envelope of money and was never to be heard of again.

I stared at Elena in shock. I had already known how vicious and cruel previous Packs and Alphas had been but this? This was a tragic love story worthy of Shakespeare. And Antonio… I felt saddened that this had happened to him. He was so good and so full of joy; no one would think this had happened to him. Elena then asked me never to mention it to him or anyone else if possible. It was a painful subject for him. I couldn't blame him.

I realized then what Elena had meant on our first meeting in the woods. This was a man's world; at least, it had been until she had come along. The words mother, sister, daughter, grandmother and aunt had been nothing more than words in a dictionary for them. The women had been the vehicle for sex and sons, nothing more. Now, they knew better.

Two days later, Antonio came back and went to wake me in my room. The moment I saw him, I hugged him fiercely. He seemed taken aback by it but quickly returned it, chuckling. I felt so sorry for him but I wouldn't say anything. I had promised Elena. I just wished there was something I could do to take that hurt away. Though I couldn't see it, I knew it was there. I knew better than anyone that you can hide just about everything just by putting on a smile.

Later that day, I met two new Pack members, Morgan Walsh and Karl Marsten. Morgan looked to be in his late twenties and had long red-brown hair just touching his shoulders and green eyes. He had an odd accent that I had never heard before and that Elena said was from Newfoundland. He seemed pleasant but he didn't say much. My scent didn't really seem to affect him. Thank God. Karl was a guy that totally fit in to my theory that all werewolves were good looking, as did Morgan, but Karl more so with dark hair, sharp features, blue eyes and a powerful build. Another superhero for Hollywood's next blockbuster, only this one dressed in designer clothes. He took one look at me and then looked back at Elena, his face asking as if this was some kind of joke. I flushed furiously at his expression and felt Antonio's arm around my shoulders tighten. I got the feeling that he didn't like Karl very much but I couldn't be sure. Karl had come with his wife, Hope, who was also a supernatural, an Expisco, a chaos sensing half demon. She was small, with Indian features, curly dark brown hair and golden eyes. She seemed nice, well, nicer than Karl, and had been polite, gracing me with her smile during the length of her visit which contrasted with Karl's permanent sneer. The visitors left after dinner and I felt the pressure of the day lift suddenly. I always hated meeting new people, all that pressure of making the right impression and trying to be accepted. I'm not sure if I'd made the right impression with Antonio standing beside me protectively but it was too late for that. I could only hope it would go better with Antonio's sons.

* * *

><p>Three days before I was due to fight Nick, I cracked. I should have seen it coming. I was growing anxious with each passing day as the day of the fight drew nearer. Not only that, two days after the fight I would be meeting Antonio's three remaining sons. I was tense, anxious and over emotional. The last had more to do with the fact that it was that time of the moth but still, there was nothing I could do about it.<p>

I was training with Clay, well, fighting him actually, and Antonio was watching us from the back porch. Clay pinned me for the tenth consecutive time and I couldn't take it anymore.

"That's it," I growled as Clayton let me up.

"What?" he asked, raising his eyebrow, clearly surprised about me talking. I rarely spoke to him. Most of my doubts and questions were directed to Elena and Antonio, I very rarely spoke with Clay.

"I said that's it. I've had enough. I'm not fighting Nick so you can win some silly bet," I said, looking at the floor just in case. I was defying him, I knew it, the wolf knew, but I didn't care. Right now I felt like this whole thing was entirely useless. I stole a glance at Clay to see him frowning at me. I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder just as Antonio's scent reached me but I didn't relax. Not this time.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked softly, rubbing his fingers into my shoulder. I closed my eyes, trying to order my thoughts and feelings before finally speaking.

"This is pointless. I'm not capable of beating Nick, I'm not capable of beating Elena and I'm most definitely am not capable of beating a mutt. This training is entirely pointless. You're wasting your time," I said softly but my tone was firm. I had been pushing this fear back from the moment I had started training since I had needed a clear mind to absorb the lessons. But now all the tension and anxiety were bringing it forth and I couldn't hold it back. How stupid was I that I'd really thought that I'd be able to fight, much less beat someone? Clay looked surprised at me but I had no idea exactly what he was surprised about. Antonio's grip on my shoulder tightened for a moment and then he let go, stepping in front of me to face me. He studied my face for a moment, looking for the reason that had set this all off, but failing.

"If I say you can beat Nick it's because you can, Kim," I heard from behind Tonio. I watched as Clayton strode forward to stand beside him. He studied me for a moment before asking, "Elena hasn't told you what I did, has she?" I frowned, wondering what this had to do with the question at hand, but shook my head all the same. Antonio looked over at him, worry in his eyes, but Clay ignored him.

"When I was seventeen, I was not the best fighter. I was small as well. As you know, back then mutts would come here and challenge us but not anymore," he said and I nodded. Thirty years ago that's how it had been, but then they had stopped coming. When I'd asked Elena why that was she had refused to answer and said she'd tell me in time. He then told me what he had done. I stood frozen in my place, staring at him, and Tonio came back to me, wrapping an arm around my waist, but I barely registered him. I was trying to wrap my head around why someone would do what Clay had done. He had dismembered a mutt, piece by piece, keeping him alive until the last possible moment. He had taken photos and distributed them among the mutts to scare them off and it worked. But why had he done this? To protect his family, to protect Jeremy.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked softly, shock still in my body. If his intention had been to make me feel better, that was the last thing he had managed to do.

"Just to demonstrate that it doesn't matter if you're not a good fighter, you just have to learn to take advantage of what you have," he said and I immediately understood. He had had the courage or stomach or whatever to do what he had to do to protect his family. He had used what he had had at the time to protect his territory. What did I have? I had no idea. Flexibility and fast reflexes Antonio had said but I doubted they were much of an advantage. "Besides, though you're not the best, you are good," Clay said then and I looked up, shocked, more than before. Did he really just say that? I stared at him, unsure if to believe him. Was he just saying that to make me feel better? Yeah, right. If I had been Kate then maybe, but I wasn't, I was Kim and I knew better. He wouldn't say something like that to make me feel better knowing it could make me cocky and do something stupid. He was saying it because it was the truth. I was a good fighter. Was it true? I sure hoped so but I would be finding out in just three days anyway.

The night before the fight, I lay awake in bed with Antonio holding me like always. Pack bonds, I now knew as I finally accepted it. I was nervous, very nervous, and I knew Antonio could feel it. I wondered if he thought it was wrong for me to fight his son but I didn't have the courage to ask him.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" he whispered into my hair. I knew what was coming; he had tried many times in the last three days.

"I'm okay, Tonio. I'm not backing out," I said and I heard his sigh in reply. Maybe I was being stubborn but I needed to do this. I didn't want to but I needed to do this. I needed to prove to myself that I could defend myself. I also felt the wolf's need to prove itself to its new Pack. Whether I would feel more accepted after this if I won remained to be seen.

"You know, what Clay told you the other day, it's…it's not something he speaks of lightly. The fact that he's told you means that his starting to trust you," he whispered above me and I nodded against his chest. I'd thought about this but I hadn't wanted to linger over it as the day of the fight approached. But did his trust mean acceptance? I don't know. Still, I knew that earning the trust of the most feared werewolf in North America was not something many could accomplish and I was proud that I had at least attained that.


	11. Ch 11 The Boys

**Please read Max's POV of the meeting with Kim in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Disastrous. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim will be introduced into the last part of SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling.

*_I've got pics of Kim, the Pack and Otherworld characters posted on my profile. _

_Australian slang and sayings:_

**beyond the black stump: **middle of nowhere

**Let's kick a Vic:** a phrase normally said by South Australians to Victorians at sporting events. Adelaide is found in the state of South Australia and Melbourne in Victoria.

**Crow eaters:** anyone from South Australia

**Bush: **outback

Ch 11 The Boys

Kim's POV

He stood eight feet in front of me, unmoving, studying me, waiting for me to make the first move. He could wait all he wanted to though; I was not going to move first. I was acutely aware of several pairs of eyes watching us but I ignored them, focusing entirely on the man before me. He smiled his swoon winning smile but I didn't return it and kept my eyes on his body and his eyes, especially his eyes, waiting for the first indication that he was going to pounce.

We stared at each other for another few minutes until his patience wore out and he started circling to his right. I mirrored his movement, feeling the crisp November air bite at my skin but dismissed it. I had to focus on Nick. He smiled again, trying to catch me off guard but it wouldn't work. Clay had warned me about this. He suddenly stopped and started circling the other way when he saw that his trick hadn't worked. I mirrored his movement again and started circling to my right. He stopped again and moved his leg as if he was going to circle the other way but I knew better.

He lunged forward and I side stepped out of the way at the last moment, but he had experience on his side and quickly turned to grab me but I danced away. Clay had taught me to fight like this. Dodge every blow you can until you get an opportunity to strike. This is the way that Jeremy normally fights, Tonio had said, but I had yet to see it. Nick then sent a punch towards my ribs but I swirled just in time so he only scrapped me. We continued to dance for another few minutes like this. I knew my advantages; Clay had drilled me through them for the past week. Flexibility, fast reflexes and adaptability. On my side I also had the fact that I was small and inexperienced. Yes, those were advantages. If a mutt saw me they would think of me as easy prey and they wouldn't expect me to be able to defend myself, not at first at least. Nick, however, knew I had training, but he didn't know if I was any good. The most common mistake he would make, Clay had said, is to think he can predict my actions because of my training. So Clay had taught me to be unpredictable. And how was I going to be unpredictable? By using my greatest weakness to my advantage. My size.

We kept on dancing, well, I did, Nick was storming. He continued to lunge and pounce, trying to catch me off guard to no avail. I landed several blows as did he but I managed to skirt most of his. Finally, I saw my opportunity. He charged forward but he was moving too quickly. I waited until the last possible moment and swung to the side, making him lose his momentum, and kicked him in the back of the knee. He stumbled but didn't fall, quickly getting up and turning back to face me. He shot forward again but I dodged him once more, knowing he would be expecting it, so I dropped back before he could take a shot at me and fell to the floor, somersaulting back to land on my feet. Yes, I was flexible, they were right about that. Nick's surprise didn't last long and he quickly pounced again as I shot forward, catching him off guard and landing two blows to his diaphragm, winding him, before he clumsily blocked the third blow. I spun around behind him, before he retaliated, and cuffed him just below the ear, a painful blow. He spun to reciprocate, sending a punch my way but it was too high and I just ducked under it and kept moving. I spun around him and cuffed him under the other ear. Again, he spun to grab me but I was quicker. I rotated around him as he turned to face me and kicked him in the back of the knee again, sending him to his knees. I moved quickly and sent a kick right into his ass, sending him face first into the ground with a grunt. He started to get up but I was already on top of him, sending him back down with my weight for just a moment, but it was enough. I grabbed his hands and pulled them back and up so when he tried to struggle it sent waves of pain through him. I held his hands firmly between his lower shoulder blades as I pinned his legs with mine, and then it was over.

Silence filled the air as I held Nick beneath me. I could hear and feel the pounding of my heart against my rib cage, my breath coming in quick, short huffs. Slowly, I got off of Nick and stepped away from him. I watched him get up and then he looked me in the eyes, his expression guarded. I held his gaze for as long as I dared and then looked away. I may have bested him but he was still older and stronger than me, so he deserved my respect and submission. I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder but it didn't feel like the one that normally rested there. I turned to look at Clay who was bearing down at me, his expression unreadable. I stared into his dark blue eyes and was about to give him my submission when he nodded. I flushed, looking away. In that one gesture, Clay had told me all I needed to know. He accepted me.

"Seems like you lost, Nicky," Clay said, grinning, as he stepped away from me and moved towards Nick, who scowled at him.

"Of course, I did. How could I not when she was trained by you _and_ my father?" he said angrily and it took me moment to realize that it was mock anger, mostly. He shook his head at Clay and slid a grin my way and I felt myself relax. I thought I'd lost him for a moment there. I'd hate to think I'd lost his friendship over this. Nick was about to say something else to Clay when I was suddenly caught from behind, lifted off my feet and swung around, finding myself face to chest with Antonio as he embraced me. I hugged him back and heard him chuckle above me. I quickly let him go though, since we weren't alone but he just smiled down at me, still holding on to my waist.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart," he said softly and I swear I could hear the pride drip from his voice. I filled with warmth at his words, feeling myself blush, but I just beamed up at him, the tension of the fight evaporating as I was flooded with happiness at my accomplishment. Antonio let me go and stepped back and I saw Elena and Jeremy just off to the side. I tensed slightly, not sure what they were going to say, but relaxed when I saw Elena's smile. I had rarely seen Jeremy's smile but right then he looked content, somewhat at least. Both Alpha and Alpha elect nodded to me and then I felt Antonio's arm wrap around me as I let him lead me to the house.

Sudden doubt spread through me as we made our way to the house. I wasn't sure if I believed I had just beat Nick. Maybe he'd let me win. He had seemed angry though. Maybe he'd been pretending. Maybe this whole thing was a rouse. But to what end?

"Sweetheart?" Antonio called my attention as we made our way through the back door. He pulled me to a stop just inside, closing the door, and taking at good look at me as he held me by the shoulders. "Are you hurt?" I shook my head and he frowned. "What's wrong then? Nick isn't angry at you, sweetheart," he said and I just sighed.

"I know, Tonio," I said softly, looking away from him, but he didn't move and I didn't dare look up at him. How stupid was I? Had I really thought that I'd bested Nick?

"He didn't let you win, princess," he whispered as if reading my thoughts. My head shot up, surprise written all over my face. Did he just call me 'princess'? "Nick doesn't train every day like he should and he isn't one of the Pack's strongest or most gifted fighters. You've been training nonstop for the last five weeks and you're a natural. It's more than possible for you to have won fair and square and you did," he said now, seemingly oblivious to the fact that I was still shocked by the term of endearment that he'd used. "Besides, Nick had nothing to win and everything to lose by letting you win. In fact, from what I hear, Clay has something terrible planned for Nick. Well, Nick had something terrible planned for Clay as well but…," he trailed off with a smile. He then placed his arm around my waist and led me to the kitchen for a snack.

I barely registered what Antonio did or made as I sat on the island counter stool, completely lost in my thoughts. He had called me princess. No one had ever used that endearment for me before, not that I can remember at least. I didn't mind though. In fact, I loved it. It made me feel like he liked me. Okay, I already knew that he liked me but still. I needed the reminder and I think he knew it. Princess. I smiled stupidly to myself. Antonio saw me and studied me for a moment, before grinning at me and then turned his attention back to the snack making.

I thought about the way he treated me, always helping me, always being so gentle with me and always so caring. I remembered the first night that he'd helped me take my boots off as I fell asleep beside him and I watched him as he prepared the snack before me. He was always there, ready for anything I needed and more than willing to do anything for me. I guess I was his princess.

Antonio POV

The drive to Stonehaven was made in almost complete silence. Each one of us was absorbed in their own thoughts. Last night, Nick and I had finally told the boys about Kim. It hadn't been easy. I had first had to tell them about the Pack's incapability of detaining Justin Turner, something Karl had not let us forget during his short visit to Stonehaven. He had found it absurd that we were tripping over ourselves—his words not mine—to help a girl when a mutt was still on the loose. One clear cut order from Jeremy had shut him up but we knew we had failed with Turner. For now though, he was lying low and Kim was safe.

They had all been shocked, of course, with the fact that she was okay. That is, that she was in almost total control of the wolf and her Changes and she had only been bitten just five weeks ago. They had asked, naturally, how this could be but we couldn't tell them since we didn't now for certain. We had our suspicions, a theory, but nothing more. Maybe it was werewolf blood or maybe it was just Kim, who knew?

Nick glanced at me from the passenger seat but I didn't look at him. He knew I was nervous about this meeting. Nothing would happen since we would all be there but I didn't want Kim to get scared. She was so delicate and yet so strong. I smiled slightly as I remembered the ass whooping my son had received at her hands. He had been angry at first, with himself, not with Kim. He knew he should train on a more regular basis but he hadn't taken it seriously until now. I told him not to take it so badly. Kim was good, very good, a natural in fact, and she had been trained by the best, after all. That didn't sit too well with him and the minute we got home, he went straight to the training room.

When I had left for the Catskills, Kim had already started getting nervous. I hadn't wanted to leave her like that but I had to go home to talk with the boys. I hadn't helped matters by warning her about Max. He didn't like strangers and he was downright rude with them, just like Clay. I had told Kim not to take it personally, that he just had problems, but I knew she would, her self confidence always seeming to lack, just like it had after the fight.

Max had been furious with me once we'd told them all the truth. He was very jealous of my time and attention, more so if it was with a stranger. He had hated me being away so much and knowing that I had been with another child had hurt him. It had taken half the night, but I had finally calmed him down and explained that she had needed me. He didn't understand why but had accepted it anyway. Well, he'd seemed to at least. Today he was calm and I just hoped he would stay that way.

"Remember, boys, no scaring her and no fucking her," Nick warned, tuning in his seat to face the boys, as we neared the house. I saw them nod in the rearview mirror, watching as Noah rolled his eyes. I forced myself to relax. Nothing was going to happen. My boys were in control of their wolves. Or so I hoped.

Kim's POV

I looked at the girl in the mirror and barely recognized myself. I had lost weight, a lot of weight, hell, almost all the weight I'd gained since I'd arrived to the States. My legs were no longer chubby but thin and slightly muscled. What little fat had been left on my face after the bite had also disappeared. My arms were the same size as they had been before my training but the fat was now muscle.

I honestly didn't know how to feel. My eating problems had been brought on by the problems I had suffered at school and at home. It had been my way of punishing myself and numbing the pain. Now that I was a werewolf and the reasons behind my problems were gone, the compulsive eating had stopped, I think. I'd tried to lose weight several times over the years but I hadn't been very persistent and had always failed. But now, now I had the body I had always wanted, the body most girls aspired to have, and I had no idea how to feel. Good, I suppose. If I wasn't pretty than I could at least have a good body. What good will that body do if no one will ever want you? Who would ever want you, Kim? Even with a body like yours? No one has ever wanted you and no one ever will. The voice of my fears sounded a lot like Ashley Baker, the head cheerleader and my most faithful tormentor.

I pulled away from the depressing memories and brought myself back to the present. I dressed slowly, not in any hurry to meet Antonio's sons. They weren't here yet but they would be soon. I always hated meeting new people. So much depended on the first impression. One wrong move and I was screwed. It hadn't been so bad with Morgan, Karl and Hope. They were much older than me and I hadn't felt the pressure I felt now.

I was about to meet Antonio's sons, the sons of the man who had looked after me and had been by my side for the past five weeks, treating me like a princess. Would they be angry with me for keeping their father away from them for so long? I knew they weren't little boys. Reese was five years older than me, Noah one and Max was one year younger, but I understood that by werewolf standards they were still children, just like me.

I heard a knock on the door then and I called for my visitor to come in. Elena. "You ready?" she asked with a smile. I nodded, pulling on my dark blue cardigan and tying the belt at the front, without looking at her. "Are you okay, sweetie?" I heard her ask as she stepped forward but I kept my gaze on the floor. No, I was not okay. I felt like I was about to be sick. "Hon?" I felt her hand on my shoulder and looked up into her face. Worry filled her eyes but I just nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I wished I could see Antonio but he was probably downstairs with everyone else.

Elena studied me for a moment longer and then took my arm in hers and led me from the room. As we made our way downstairs, I started to hear the soft murmur coming from the study and the butterflies in my stomach took flight. We reached the closed door but I didn't open it. I couldn't do this. This scene was bringing back the flashback of my first day at school. I had walked into the classroom, interrupting an English lesson, to find almost thirty unknown faces looking at me, assessing me, judging me. But these weren't thirty, they were three and I knew everyone else in the room. And they were Antonio's sons and I didn't want to disappoint him. I had to do this. For Antonio.

Elena squeezed my arm slightly and I looked at her, nodding, and extracted myself from her grip. If I wanted to make a first good impression then I doubted walking in, holding onto the Alpha elect was a good idea. It would be seen as a weakness and the wolf would not permit this. I took a deep breath, my hand on the handle, and then opened the door, stepping inside with Elena beside me.

The moment I stepped inside, Kate screamed my name and the conversation inside the room abruptly ended, leaving the room completely silent as everyone turned to look at me. I felt my cheeks start heating up but I forced myself to keep my head held high. No backing down, the wolf said. I looked around the room, finding the three new faces but didn't meet any of their eyes, only the last's. He was the smallest, slightly shorter than me even, and he was standing right next to Antonio. I held his gaze for a moment and then looked away. I didn't look away in submission though, because his eyes had been anything but friendly.

I lifted my gaze to Antonio and found him smiling at me from across the room. I tried to smile back but didn't quite mange it. I swear I could feel every eye in the room glued to me as I looked over at Clay but found him looking at the boys, not me. I pushed a piece of hair behind my ear nervously and wrapped my arms across my chest, my gaze moving back to Antonio. God, kill me now. As if in answer, Antonio strode forward and came to stand in front of me, touching my shoulder and squeezing slightly. I relaxed somewhat and he smiled, stepping to the stand beside me. I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. I felt better with Antonio by my side.

"Okay, so introductions," Elena said, stepping forward and standing a few feet in front of me. "Kim, this is Reese Williams," she said, gesturing to one of the newcomers and I took my first good look at him as he stepped forward. If I ever had a type, Reese Williams was definitely it. He had broad shoulders, wavy blond hair and beautiful blue eyes that sent my heart tripping. He was a bit taller than Antonio and was grinning down at me with a smile that made me flush.

"It's a pleasure," he said, his voice dripping with an accent I knew well and loved. No way. It couldn't be. Antonio would have told me, right?

"You're from Oz," I said, desperately trying to keep my voice from trembling. Reese's smile broadened and he offered me his hand. I glanced at it, seeing it was missing part of its two last fingers, but kept my gaze on his face as he spoke.

"Yeah, born and bred. You?" he said as I grasped his hand, while trying to steady my beating heart.

"Something like that," I said softly. I watched his eyes and saw that my scent was affecting him, the scent of a bitch in heat. His pupils dilated but I could see that he was fighting for control. I almost breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that control did indeed win out.

"We'll have to talk about it later," he said, stepping back. I nodded, biting my lip, and looked over at Elena. She nodded and continued the introductions.

"This is Noah Albright-Stillwell and technically Sorrentino...um...it's a long story," she said, now gesturing towards the guy standing eight feet away from me. He took a step forward but abruptly stopped and kept the distance between us. He was only slightly taller than me with light brown hair that fell into his dark eyes and a reedy build. He smiled at me from across the distance and I noticed that he was not doing so well with his fight against my scent. I blushed and tried to keep my eyes on his face.

"Hi," he said nervously. I nodded to him but he still didn't move. He was still warring to keep his reaction down without success.

"Hi," I responded, at a lost of what else to say. Suddenly, he blushed but I didn't know if it was out of shyness or embarrassment of not being able to control his body's reaction to my scent.

"And that's Max," Elena said, saving Noah any further embarrassment. I swerved my gaze to the boy that had been beside Antonio when I'd walked into the room. Max was smaller than I had expected and he looked way younger than the age I knew he was. He had brown hair, an average build and beautiful blue-green eyes that were boring into me but I held his gaze now. He didn't smile or say a word.

"Hi," I said tentatively. He shot me a fierce look and then turned away from me. My heart sank despite the fact that I knew he was the rude one, the one with 'problems'.

"Max, Kim is talking to you," Antonio growled at him from right beside me, using a tone that he had never used before, not around me at least.

"I heard," he said and my heart sank even lower. Max looked at Tonio with a furious look in his eyes but then sighed and turned to me, the look not disappearing from his eyes. "Hi," he said flatly, and I almost flinched. I had to fight hard to not let the memories take over and for the fear to spread through me.

"Excuse him; we usually don't let him out of the basement without his daily etiquette lesson," Antonio said as he walked over to Max and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Vuoi provare ancora, bambino?" he said to Max in Italian. Despite common belief, Spanish speakers do not understand Italian and vice versa. Sometimes though, the words in Italian are similar to those in Spanish, thus enabling me get the gist of the conversation. This was the case. _Provare _sounded an awful lot like _probar_, which is _try_ in Spanish and I knew _bambino_ meant _boy _or_ child_. Was he asking him if he wanted to try again? Max sighed and then turned to me again.

"Hi, Kim, it's nice to meet you," Max said now in a lighter tone. Antonio seemed happier with this and then walked back to me. I caught Max's jealous look as he watched Antonio's back walk away from him and then he turned a hate filled look towards me. Awesome start, Kim, way to go.

"Come on, guys. Snack's on the table," Elena said. Antonio grabbed my arm then and led me from the room but we didn't go to the kitchen. He led me straight out the front door and stopped just on the verandah.

"You okay, princess?" he asked, turning to face me, worry etched on his face. I nodded, trying to put as much conviction into my eyes as I could but I knew he wasn't fooled. "I'm sorry about Max but he has problems, sweetheart. Just give him time, okay?" he said and I just nodded again and turned to look at the forest, crossing my arms over my chest. Antonio stepped beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist. I didn't care, not anymore, as long as no one was around. "Sorry I didn't tell you about Reese, but—"

"I know," I said, cutting him off. He paused for a moment and then I felt him kiss me on the head. I closed my eyes and leaned into him. Yes, I knew why he hadn't told me about Reese. I had told him I didn't like talking about my home and telling me Reese was from there would have been talking about my home. I hadn't realized until then just how much he didn't want to hurt me or cause me any pain, but now… "Thank you." I felt him nod as he rested his chin on my head.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps from inside the house start coming towards us. I quickly extracted myself from Antonio just as I heard the door swing open. I didn't have time to turn around though, before I was caught from behind, lifted into the air and swung around to face Nick. I blushed as I realized that he was accompanied by the boys.

"Aren't you hungry, Nicholas?" Antonio growled softly, clearly telling his son to take his hands off me but Nick just grinned.

"Nope. We've decided the snack can wait until after we have a good game of touch football. You in?" he asked, looking down at me with a smile. I blushed and stepped back, shaking my head.

"Not a good idea," I said, looking away from him and the other guys, praying for the Earth to swallow me whole.

"What's this, Nick? Already trying to get your ass whooped by her again?" Antonio said with a chuckle. I looked up to see Nick roll his eyes at his father and then look back at me, still grinning.

"You got your ass kicked…by _her_?" I heard from behind Nick but I knew who had spoken. The rude one. Max. Nick moved slightly so I had a good view of the guys. Max was frowning at me, clearly disbelieving my accomplishment.

"Not only that but he bit the dust. Literally," Clay said as he came out the door, followed by Elena, Jeremy and the twins. They started making teams then but I wasn't going to play. Sports were not my thing, much less team sports. The two teams started making their way to the front yard and Antonio came to me, giving my hand a light squeeze before leaving with Max following him closely. I sat down on the porch steps, quite content on watching them play. Suddenly, a body dropped next to me and an intoxicating scent sped my way, leaving me breathless. It took me a moment to realize who it was that had sat down next to me. Reese.

"You sure you don't want to play?" he asked, smiling at me. I nodded, blushing furiously as I watched the two teams line up.

"You can play, though. You don't have to sit here with me," I said not looking at him until I heard him chuckle.

"Just because Americans forget that it's rude to leave the newcomer alone it doesn't mean I will," he said, still grinning. God, he has a beautiful smile. "So, where are you from?" he asked. I looked away from him, glancing over at Antonio who was the closest to us and had obviously heard Reese's question. He studied me for a moment, worry flooding his eyes, but I turned back to Reese.

"Adelaide," I answered, looking Reese in the eyes, but I couldn't hold his gaze so I quickly turned to look back at Antonio who was smiling at me. Suddenly, the ball went flying his way and he caught it at the last second, but before he could move, he was tackled to the ground by Clay. I chuckled as I watched them tumble and Kate ran past them, grabbing the ball and running towards Noah and Max, who were laughing and smiling as they watched her. Huh, I guess Max did know how to smile, just not around me. "You?" I asked Reese now, turning to face him and noticed that he was still watching me. I flushed once more and looked away.

"Melbourne, more or less," he said. I looked at him again, raising my eyebrow, but he just grinned at me. "You ever been in the bush?" he asked instead of answering my unasked question.

"Of course. Couple months before I moved here, I went to Alice Springs and Uluru," I said and then understood why he'd asked me that. "Let me guess, you lived beyond the black stump?" I asked, jumping slightly as Reese burst out laughing then, making me blush again. I saw everyone on the field turn to look at us out of the corner of my eye but I kept my gaze on Reese. He was gorgeous when he laughed. Finally, he calmed down and returned his gaze to me, beaming.

"Just about, but it was only an hour from the city, so it wasn't a big deal," he said, sill laughing slightly as he spoke. We sat in silence then as we continued to watch the game. It wasn't an awkward silence though. It was…comforting. I watched as Antonio sent the ball towards Max, who smiled brightly—he had a beautiful smile too—as he caught it and ran to make a point. He seemed to be happier when Antonio was around. Something we have in common, I suppose. Reese then started questioning me about other places I'd visited back home, which hadn't been many, I only had Sydney to add to that short list. He seemed to flinch at the mention of the city but he quickly hid it with a smile. Silence fell once more between us and we laughed as we saw Nick tackled to the ground by his father, who didn't really seem to care about the ball, and started tickling him.

"Did you really beat Nick in a fight?" Reese asked then.

"Yeah. Clay and Nick had made a bet so…," I trailed off not really knowing what to say.

"I bet she could beat you too, Reese, so stop grinning so much. You're going to plaster the smile on your face," Nick asked as he made his way to us, having escaped from his father's clutches, and sat down on Reese's other side. Reese looked at me then and I saw a mischievous smile painted on his lips. I had to stop myself from swooning.

"I doubt it. It's not a good idea to kick Vics," I said, looking at Nick but Reese erupted in laughter once more. Nick stared at him and then looked at me, raising an eyebrow, but I just smiled and shook my head. I looked back over the field to see that the game had ended and almost everyone was in desperate need of a shower. Antonio walked over to me as Reese caught his breath, and smiled down at me. I smiled back and stood.

Most of us made our way into the kitchen then while some went to have showers. When I finished my snack, I took the kids to the study and was closely followed by Reese.

"Kim!" Kate called once we walked into the room and ran to the piano. "Let's show Reese the new song," she said, bouncing on her heels, pleading me with her smile. I smiled back and went to sit by the piano. I could feel Reese's gaze on me and I flushed but didn't look at him.

"She's really good, well, they both are," I heard Logan whisper to Reese and I flushed even more. I poised my hands on the keys and saw that they were trembling slightly because of the new audience. I forced calm into my body, then looked at Kate. She nodded and I began.

By the time we finished the song, Antonio, Nick, Noah and Max had walked into the room and were watching us. I had to concentrate harder for the last part of the song so I wasn't distracted by my growing audience. As I played the last note, Nick walked over to me, plucking me from the seat just like he had the first time I played and swung me around. He didn't hug me this time but kept his hands around my waist, making me flush furiously.

"That was awesome," Noah said and I turned to him, seeing him smiling at me so I slid him a small smile in return.

"Thanks," I said softly. My eyes fell on Max now who was scowling at me. I looked away from him, trying to hide the fact that he was starting to get to me, when Antonio called for an encore. I smiled at him, untangling myself from Nick and sat back down. I played a few more songs with Kate singing by my side, and then the question I'd been dreading was asked.

"Can you sing?" Reese asked and I looked at him for the first time since he'd walked into the room. He had a smile on his lips that made my insides flutter slightly. I shook my head and looked down at the keyboard.

"Yes, you can!" Kate said, and I looked up to see her bounding towards Reese. "She's amazing! She's taught me everything she knows. She's been helping me with my singing and she's been teaching me to play the piano. She's even been helping Logan with all his science stuff," she said and Logan rolled his eyes at her back from Antonio's arms

"It's called physics, chemistry and mathematics, Kate," he said, sounding like an exasperated teenager.

"That's what I said, science stuff," Kate said, not even turning towards her brother as she took a seat on Reese's lap. "Come on, Kim, sing us a song," she called. I looked over desperately at Nick and Antonio, begging them to save me.

"Why don't I tell you the real story about how I lost my fingers?" Reese said, swinging a grin my way before focusing on Kate. Logan quickly leapt off Antonio's lap and went to sit beside Reese. "Back home, we have crocodile infested rivers, so much that the bush rangers asked me to help them get rid of some…" he began and then spun them a tale of how the crocs surrounded him and he somehow managed to escape but a croc had bitten off his two fingers before he could, almost taking his whole hand.

"I thought you were going to tell us the real story," Logan complained but Reese just chuckled.

"That is the real story," he grinned and then started tickling Kate in his arms as Nick snuck up on Logan from behind. I stood then and started making my way over to Antonio but Max quickly took the seat beside him. I mentally cringed as the déjà vu hit me. Thankfully, Antonio stood then and asked me to help him with lunch. Max threw me a look of outrage that I caught as I left the study. This is exactly what I'd feared, for Antonio's sons to be jealous of the time he was spending with me. But Max seemed to be the only one that was angry.

"You okay?" Tonio asked me as I sliced the tomatoes. I nodded just as I heard the door open. Reese's scent hit me just before he appeared at my side.

"Chicken and salad? Didn't you tell Antonio to get some crows for you?" he smiled and now it was my turn to laugh, so much that I had to let go of the knife. After the fit had passed, I saw Antonio smiling at me. It wasn't often that I was smiling or laughing, there hadn't much time for it over the weeks with all the training, but he had always tried to get a grin on my face. He'd always succeeded but he seemed to like seeing me smile.

"You eat crows?" Logan asked as he walked in holding onto Max's hand. He didn't seem appalled by the idea, just curious. I shook my head and was about to speak when I was interrupted.

"Yeah, all the time. Where she's from, they're all crow eaters," Reese said, grinning mischievously at me, sending my heart speeding way past the speed limit. I rolled my eyes at him and now it was Nick's turn to erupt in laughter, followed closely by Tonio. Reese, Max, Noah and the kids stared at the two Sorrentinos that were almost doubling over with laughter. I couldn't help but grin as well since I knew why they were laughing.

"Congrats, mate," Nick grinned to Reese once he was able to breathe, "I never thought I'd see her roll her eyes at anyone, not even me." Reese turned to me and grinned again. God, did this guy ever stop smiling? Maybe he could give some of his smile supply to Mr. Frown over in the corner there, who was the only one clearly not pleased with the situation or me. Once Antonio had caught his breath, he saw Max's expression and shot him a warning look. Max just shrugged and left the kitchen. Silence fell as the door closed, and then Nick quickly called Reese, Noah and the twins to help him with the table while Antonio and I finished making lunch.

Twenty minutes later, we were all sitting at the table. I sat between Tonio and Nick and across from Antonio's three other sons. Max scowled and shot me furious looks during the entire meal, evidently not happy with the seating arrangement. His behaviour with me was starting to piss me off. Six weeks ago, I would have already been crying in the nearest bathroom but not now. I had been treated like shit or worse for years and I was trying to start anew here with the Pack. I knew he had problems or whatever so he could be forgiven, somewhat, but that didn't excuse him. I'd just have to be patient, I guess.

After lunch, it was time for the activity that I had been dreading the most, even more than meeting Antonio's sons. It was time to Change. It was the first time I'd be running with most of the Pack, since Karl and Morgan were the only ones not present, but Jeremy and Max had decided to stay with the twins. Antonio walked me to a thicket somewhat further from the others so I could have more privacy. I thanked him and heard him go find his own thicket as I stripped but I knew he would stay nearby. He always did.

I Changed like always. It was no different from the first time albeit the vomiting. The ten seconds of 'god, kill me now' pain didn't disappear though and I knew it never would. I tried to keep the grunts of pain to a minimum, aware of the fact that everyone else would hear. After the Change, I rested for a few moments before standing up and getting my bearings. One good sniff told me that Antonio was downwind of me and the grunts and puffs told me he was almost done.

I trotted over to his thicket and lay down beside it, waiting. A last painful grunt from the other side sent a whine out of me, knowing he was going through the last ten seconds of pain and then silence. Suddenly, I heard the unmistakable sound of twigs snapping just behind me. I quickly got up and spun around, almost tripping over my limbs, and saw a blonde wolf heading straight for me. My clumsy spin had left me unbalanced so I was unable to escape the wolf's tackle. As we tumbled, I recognized his scent. Reese. Had I been human, I would have freaked at the close contact with him, which is why I hadn't wanted to play touch football in the first place. But I was a wolf and Reese was in my Pack, so we could play. Reese jumped off me but I nipped him before he could escape, meaning he was it, not me. He grinned a wolfy grin and ran towards me but I turned tail and fled.

I heard him follow me through the forest, nipping me every now and then, but I managed stay ahead of him. Abruptly, I heard the distinct sound of two bodies tumbling just behind me. I stopped in my tracks and turned around to see Antonio and Reese play fighting. I started towards them but was tackled from my left flank. It took me a moment to recognize the scent. Noah. I played with Noah, nipping and jabbing as we tossed on the forest floor. After a few moments, Noah flew off me and I caught Reese's scent again and I got up to see them fighting now. Suddenly, we heard a howl pierce threw the forest air. Elena's. We all started running towards the source of the howl immediately. I scented Antonio just before he appeared by my side. I felt someone nip my legs but I ignored them. We had to get to Elena, she was calling us. We finally reached the clearing to find Elena, Clay and Nick. The moment the four of us entered the glade, Nick came over to me and licked my muzzle before going to my left flank, shoving Reese out of the way, and sitting beside me. Reese growled at him but a sharp huff from Elena cut him short.

We hunted deer again but because there were more of us this time, we needed more food, so we used a different tactic. We couldn't speak, we couldn't communicate, but we knew what we were going to do, the scheme etched into our wolf brains as always. We followed the scent of deer that night to find a herd of them in a small clearing, grazing. We formed a straight line that soon turned into a semicircle as we neared the glade with Elena and Clay on both ends. They closed in on the deer from the right and left but didn't attack. Antonio, Noah, Nick, Reese and I were the distraction. Without any apparent signal, we all sprang forward, scaring the deer, biting and nipping but not killing, leading them towards Clay and Elena. I helped Noah and Antonio lead one towards Clay and soon saw him pounce at the deer's face. Once both deer were dead, they were hauled to the clearing where we could all eat together and thus being less vulnerable should we be attacked.

Once our bellies were full, we moved to another clearing, leaving the carcases behind. I sat down beside Antonio and he immediately started cleaning my muzzle of blood as I did the same to him. He was soon pushed aside by Nick though, who finished Antonio's work. When he finished, I laid down on the spot. Antonio lay down beside me and Nick went to do so on my other side but Reese got there faster. Nick growled at him, telling him to beat it, but Reese just growled back. In the end, Nick gave up, seemingly too tired to fight, and lay down in front of me, so I was nuzzling his left flank. Noah joined him and I was soon lulled to sleep with the warmth of the bodies around me.

* * *

><p>I awoke feeling the coarse forest floor on my back. It took me a moment to realize that it wasn't the only thing my body was in contact with. I could feel an arm lying across my belly. I gulped, not sure if I wanted to know who it was, and opened my eyes to see that night had almost fallen. I turned my head to my right to see Reese, still sleeping, and noticed that it was his arm that was laid over my body. I immediately flushed and turned the other way. I almost yelped when I saw Antonio's eyes open. He smiled at me as I blushed again. He quietly got up and I made sure not to look at his, um, thing. I kept my eyes on his chest as he removed Reese's arm over me. As soon as I was free, I silently got up and tiptoed out of the clearing with Antonio by my side. I still wasn't comfortable with him seeing my body but over the last few weeks, I'm sure he's seen more than enough of it. Besides, I already knew he wasn't going to judge me because of it.<p>

It took us a while to get to our clothes since we had gone further to find the herd of deer than we normally do, but we made the entire journey in silence. Once we were dressed, we went back to the house and started making a late dinner and early supper. By the time it was ready, the others still hadn't appeared, so we ate with Jeremy, Max and the twins. We were finishing when the others finally appeared. I tried not to flush as I saw Reese without too much success and quickly excused myself from the room, only to walk head long into Max in the hallway. He scowled at me and started stalking past me, when he said, "Excuse you," and I cracked.

"Okay, what is your problem?" I growled softly, turning to face him. He turned to look at me and seemed surprised by my tone—I sure as hell was—but quickly replaced his surprise with anger and…hatred? He took me in, much like Nick had when we met, but Max was analysing, assessing, judging.

"You are," he growled back. I shot him the best furious look I could manage.

"Please, do explain. You've known me for less than a freaking day and now, suddenly, I'm a problem?" I said, having no idea what had taken over me. I heard Max growl at me and then I realized it. The wolf had taken over me. Max was treating me like crap on _my_ territory and the wolf would not allow this. I hadn't realized that I was looming over him, the wolf trying to intimidate, but Max just lifted himself to his full height undeterred. I was still taller than him, however.

"You've been a fucking problem for the last month, you—," he started to say but was interrupted by Antonio's growl.

"Kim, go to your room please," Antonio said softly while keeping his furious glare on Max. I quickly turned and went upstairs without looking back. God, I had never seen Antonio so angry. I felt a bit guilty about getting Max into trouble but he had been pissing me off all day. I would never have reacted like this if it hadn't been for the wolf. I guess it was more courageous than the human.

I went straight to my room and collapsed on my bed. I tried not to think about all the problems I'd cause between Max and Antonio. It was really unfair for Max after all. I understood his anger but I would not allow him to treat me like this. Never again. It took me a moment to realize that the house wasn't as quiet as it normally was. I could hear voices coming from the room next door.

"It's not fair, dad," I heard Max yell suddenly. He was obviously very angry. "You never spend any time with me anymore! You've spent weeks here at Stonehaven with _her_ and not me. You go for runs with _her_ and not me. And now you say you're going to sleep with her and not me? What the fuck, Antonio? I'm your son not—,"

"Enough," I heard Antonio command with a voice of authority I had never heard him use before. "That's enough, Max. You are to respect her. She's Pack and older than you so she deserves your respect—"

"I will only respect her if she earns that right," Max screamed.

"Maximus," I heard Jeremy warn but softly, never losing his patience.

"You _are_ my son, Max, but Kim needs me—," Antonio started to say but he was cut off by a growl of frustration I'm guessing was Max's.

"Go fuck yourself, Antonio," Max yelled and then I heard a door being slammed shut. From the sound of it, Max had barricaded himself in the bathroom. I could now hear murmuring coming from the room but I didn't even try to eavesdrop. I ran to the bathroom and had a shower while the guilt was spreading hard and fast.

Antonio and his son had had an argument because of me. How many times had I been the cause of arguments between my mother and stepfather? Way, way too many. I had been feeling guilty about exactly this for the past five weeks, but Max seemed to be the only one that didn't like the situation or me. Reese and Noah seemed perfectly okay with it all. Still, I couldn't blame Max. I wouldn't like for some stranger to come along and rob me of my father if I had ever had one like Antonio. But why did Max call Antonio by his name instead of dad? Weird. I had never called my mother by her name, no matter how pissed or upset I was. Of course, we hadn't had an argument like this for years.

It took him only a couple minutes to come knocking on my door after getting out of the shower, just like I knew he would. Antonio came in and immediately lay down beside me.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, princess," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around me and I leaned against his chest as always.

"No, I'm sorry," I said and pulled away to look at him. "He's right. You should go and be with him." Antonio just shook his head.

"As long as you want me here, I'm staying, sweetheart. This is my decision and Max has to learn to live with that, and I don't want to hear you telling me to go when you want me to stay. I will consider that as lying. Understand?" he said, looking me firmly in the eye but I could see his tenderness just beneath the surface. I nodded, not really in any mood to argue, and lay back down against him, his arms surrounding me instantly.

"How are you feeling, princess? Aside from Max, I mean," he said softly, drawing circles into my back to calm me down. I knew he was both trying to change the subject and to see if I was okay with the day's events.

"Better than I thought," I answered truthfully. To be honest, I hadn't expected for me to be so okay with the situation but the wolf was helping me. It understood that this was its Pack now. The human was still rebelling though. I had talked about my home with an almost stranger today but he was a stranger from home. Something about him had allowed me to open up. Still, waking up naked beside him hadn't been the most dazzling experience, but by God did he have an amazing body.

"He'll come around, sweetheart, just give him time," Antonio said when he realized I wasn't going to say anything else. I just nodded again, not entirely convinced. I was soon falling asleep in Antonio's embrace but it didn't matter. The guys would be sleeping in Elena's room tonight and an inflatable mattress had been prepared for them as well. I briefly felt the guilt surge forward again as I relaxed into Tonio's arms but it didn't last long as I soon fell into the realm of sleep.

Antonio's POV

I couldn't believe it. Had I not seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, I wouldn't have believed it. She'd talked about her home. Whether she had because Reese was from Australia or because of Reese himself, I had no idea. The important thing was that she had finally opened up about it and I couldn't care less that it hadn't been me. I was just happy that she was finally able to talk about it. It seemed to be such a delicate subject with her. And her laughter. It wasn't often that I heard her laugh but I had never heard her laugh like today. She had even rolled her eyes at Reese. I had been unable to contain myself at that. It was just so un-Kim like. She was always so calm unless a touchy subject was breached, always controlling her impatience and frustration, except for that one time when she'd cracked just days before the fight. Still, it was good to see her letting go, even just slightly. I was happy that one of my sons had been able to do this. Noah was shyer but I knew he would get along just fine with her. But Max…

Max had been shooting her glares and furious looks at her all day, and his outburst before had just been the culmination of his anger. He didn't like Kim because she was a stranger and because she was taking up so much of my time. I would never say so to him but when he had first arrived to us he took up much of my time as well, taking it away from Reese and Noah. Not that they'd minded, they had known it was necessary. But Max didn't seem to understand that. Now he was grounded for two weeks for being disrespectful and rude. I couldn't help that he was rude to strangers but Kim was Pack and older than him so he had to treat her with respect. Thankfully, he hadn't come on the run with us, having decided that he wanted to spend some time with the kids. I knew he wouldn't have made Kim's run easy had he Changed with us, more so when she'd woken up. She was still very self conscious about her body but I knew it would be a while before she got used to it. Elena had freaked the first few times and so far Kim was doing well.

Tomorrow I would be taking the boys back home because they all had school and work on Monday but I would be coming back very soon. Kim is still in training but I think she's finally ready to make a decision about her living arrangements.


	12. Ch 12 Dual Nature

_Hey, guys! Hope you're all liking the story so far. So, I have decided to change the title of my story since I was never really happy with Change to begin with. It will now be called _**Unbroken**_ and I think you will find it is more befitting. _

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled It Begins.**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim will be introduced into the last part of SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling.

**The Courage That Is Not Seen – Laura Pausini **(Original song in Spanish. Original title: El Valor Que No Se Ve)

There are days in life that are filled with whys  
>hope is concerned with resolving them<br>you distrust people, love and think  
>it's not possible to suffer more than you<p>

And those days you give up with the world around you  
>to not feel the fear of the courage that is not seen<br>and you feel so lost that you can't no more  
>without the strength that gives you life<p>

Find a way out, a tomorrow that  
>heals the wounds inside of you<br>fight to live, with the courage that is not seen

To err never matters, just try again  
>if a door closes, another will open<br>what really matters is to never give up  
>maybe you're just one step away<p>

Ch 12 Dual Nature

Kim POV

I awoke alone but it didn't bother me. I knew Antonio would be with his sons, or Max more specifically. Last night's guilt hadn't totally worn off but a part of me knew I shouldn't really be feeling it. The kid was possessive, like a wolf. He was more in touch with his inner wolf than most, Antonio had told me. So, I guess, Max considered his father his territory and I was trespassing. My wolf didn't like that very much. Antonio was _our_ protector but she didn't see any reason why Tonio couldn't protect others. In fact, my wolf expected it.

I shook my head and rolled out of bed, quickly dressing. I still hadn't completely understood this whole wolf thing. I knew I could trust my instincts, or the wolf's instincts, but I had to be careful. I had an odd feeling that if Antonio hadn't interfered last night, Max and I would have been at each others throats.

A knock on the door as I pulled my top on, thrust me out of my thoughts. I called a greeting and almost did a double take at seeing who was at the door. Reese. I'd been expecting Nick or Antonio, but him? I swear I felt my insides disappear at the sight of him and my heart start beating frantically. I had to work very, very hard to not let him see how he affected me. It was odd. No one had ever been able to make me feel like this, ever. Still, I didn't exactly know what 'this' was and I'm not sure if I wanted to find out.

"Hey, stranger," he grinned at me as he strode in, barely taking in the room and keeping his eyes on me. I flushed and couldn't trust myself to speak so I just nodded, trying to smile. "Are you okay?" he asked as he neared me, "About last night, I mean. Max can be a good piece of work sometimes." I stared at him as I tried to find my voice, which wasn't easy as his scent wafted to me. I was used to the older Pack members caring about me, but Reese? Why would he care? He barely knew me. Then again, Antonio had cared about me without knowing me but that was Antonio. I looked into Reese's eyes, trying to figure him out, but the tenderness I saw there made the butterflies take flight suddenly.

"Um, yeah. I'm okay," I said, hoping I sounded more convincing than I felt right then. "I guess he'll just have to get used to me, right?" He studied me for a moment and then smiled his beautiful smile, and nodded. I was so entranced by him that I didn't notice that someone had walked into my room. By the time I did, though, I had already been tackled and was lying on the floor while a body pinned me down, Nick's scent engulfing me. I looked up to see him grinning down at me with a playful smile, just before his hands flew to my sides and he started tickling me.

I tried to free myself but it was impossible under his weight and strength. I briefly wondered how I'd managed to best him but the thought evaporated as he was thrown off me. I sat up to see Nick pinned by Noah but he was having a hard time holding him down. I felt hands slid under my armpits and I was hauled to my feet. I turned to look at Reese and he moved his hands down to my hips, the movement charged with confidence. My breath caught and I froze, uncertain of the closeness, but the wolf bounded forward and reminded me of who he was. He was Pack, just like Nick, just like Tonio and just like Noah, so this was okay. Reese studied me as I tried to control and understand the wolf in me and when I finally had her reined in, I looked up and smiled at him. He hesitated and then returned it, tightening his grip on my hips and moving closer. His scent intoxicated me, leaving me breathless, and before I knew it, he'd moved his hands to my sides and started to tickle me. I collapsed against him, struggling to stay on my feet, laughing hard, as he held me tight around the waist with one hand and tickled me furiously with the other.

Suddenly, we were pulled apart and I was surprised to catch Noah's scent around me. I looked down and saw unknown arms wrapped around my waist but I was quickly let go. I turned around to see that it was indeed Noah. I guess the run yesterday had given them a bit of confidence around me. Well, and me around them. Like I've said, it's not that I don't like the coddling, I do, but my human side still rebelled. The wolf was begging me to have fun though, just like it had the first time that Nick had come to wake me up. Before I could act on the wolf's pleas though, Noah was tackled to the floor by Nick and I was grabbed from behind by someone with a scent I knew well. Antonio took me to the floor, sitting me on his lap, as he tickled me softly in his arms. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Max in the doorway and when I glanced at him, he glared furiously at me before stalking off. I ignored him though. I was having way too much fun for his rudeness or unfounded hatred to affect me.

Eventually, Antonio let me go and tiptoed over to the wrestling match over in the corner, preparing to join his sons. I watched and laughed as Antonio joined the fight but I was soon plucked off the ground again by Reese but this time I turned, taking him down with me, however, he somehow managed to land on top of me. I stared into his eyes, frozen in place again at the closeness, his face only inches away from mine. My breath caught and Reese's smile faltered as he felt me tense up and went to get off of me but I grabbed his sides and tickled him, letting the wolf out to play. He collapsed on top of me, leaving me breathless for another reason entirely this time, before he pushed himself off of me and fell to my side, pulling me with him. I froze again as I found myself straddling him but the wolf was still out and Reese barely noticed my tension. Barely. He tickled me and the tension disappeared completely. We tickled each other for a while longer until we were both left breathless and I dropped beside him, huffing and puffing as much as him. I sat up where I was and watched as the men play fought while I caught my breath, laughing every now and then, the smile never leaving my face. Reese soon sat up beside me but said nothing and laughed with me as we watched the others. It was oddly comforting to have him by my side, for both the human and the wolf.

Eventually, Antonio called the wrestling match to an end, even though he was winning against both Nick and Noah, and we went down for breakfast. On the way down, Nick took my hand in his and didn't let go. Reese, who was on my other side, growled softly at him but said nothing. It reminded me of how they'd acted when they'd been in wolf form, fighting for my attention. It felt awkward but right at the same time, awkward for the human, right for the wolf. Dual nature is really complicated.

We went straight to the sunroom, where everyone else was waiting for us, and had breakfast. I sat between Reese and Nick this time and Max sat next to Antonio. This seemed to make him happy but he still sent me a glare or two every now and then.

Once breakfast was over, it was time for the others to leave. I stood on the last stair watching the others prepare to leave as the twins assaulted their uncle Nicky. I glanced at Reese who was standing close by but quickly looked away when I caught his eye. It was strange. I had never felt like this around anyone before and my dual nature wasn't really helping me to understand what it was exactly that I felt for the guy I'd known for a mere 24 hours. In my room, the wolf had been out to play with her Pack brothers but now the shyness—or the human, I don't know—had kicked back in and I could hardly look at him.

I glanced over at Antonio, who was standing beside Max, and was jingling the car keys. I didn't want him to leave and he knew it but I wouldn't say it. He would be back soon but the old fear that he wouldn't still flared inside me. He was my protector, our protector. I just had to remember that there were others he had to protect, like the one that I hadn't even noticed that had moved towards me and was now standing within chatting distance. I eyed Max and once he saw that I'd noticed him he spoke.

"I'm sorry for being so rude to you and for making you feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. Welcome to the Pack," Max said and held out his hand. I looked at him surprised but I quickly held it back. I looked from him to Tonio, who just nodded at me, and back again. It was obvious that Max wasn't doing this because he wanted to. I could see it in his eyes. Antonio just wanted me to feel good, like always, and he thought this would help. It would, if it was sincere, but I didn't want to cause another rife between father and son.

"Thanks, Max, it's okay," I lied and smiled a smile that felt very false on my face but I hoped Antonio wouldn't notice. Max stole a glance Reese's way but I kept my eyes on Max. How odd. I hadn't noticed last night because I'd been distracted when I'd confronted him, but now that I had taken a good whiff of his scent, I realized it didn't smell anything like Antonio's. It was weird because though Nick's scent was different than his father's, it resembled it somewhat, but Max's was completely different. I pushed back my thoughts to focus on the situation at hand and took Max's hand, dropping it as soon as we touched. He pulled away from me, relief written on his face, and strode back the way he came from and out the front door. I mentally sighed. I wonder how long it will take him to take a chill pill.

"So I guess this is goodbye for now," I heard Reese say as stepped in front of me so I could give him my full attention. I could feel the wolf purring at Reese's closeness but I held it back.

"For now," I said with a smile and held out my hand. It felt wrong but I didn't have the courage to give him a hug. I saw him hesitate slightly as he looked at my hand then back at my face, as if he didn't know what to do. I flushed and was about to pull my hand away when he finally grabbed it and shook. Relief flooded through me but I knew I really should be giving him a hug. After all, we had been fairly close this morning, right? The wolf was pushing me forward, begging for me to touch Reese while the human shook its head violently. Before I could do anything though, I was pulled away from Reese's grasp and caught in a Sorrentino bear hug. Nick hugged me from behind and I flushed furiously as I saw Reese watching us but I couldn't read him. I didn't know him well enough for that, but he was obviously trying to fight some emotion. Suddenly, Nick kissed my cheek and my blush deepened. Nick finally let me go and I walked towards Antonio and Noah by the door. Noah smiled at me and held out his hand which I gratefully took and said my goodbyes. Antonio then called them all to the car. As Nick, Noah and Reese trooped out, all of them flashing me smiles and making me blush, Antonio grabbed me around the waist and led me out onto the porch.

"I'll be back soon, princess," he promised softly into my ear, embracing me, while the others went to the black Mercedes where Max was waiting. I nodded, pulling away from him and then looked away, biting my lip. Everything was starting to get so goddamned confusing. I accepted my dual nature, I really did, but it was just so complicated. The human knew that the closeness with the guys that morning had not been socially adequate but the wolf expected that behaviour of me around my Pack brothers; what's more, it wanted it. Antonio gently took my chin and pulled my face up to look at him and studied me. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Just the wolf," I whispered and saw his immediate comprehension. It wasn't the first time that this confusion assaulted me but it hadn't bothered me as much as it did today. The guys all seemed to be okay with the physical closeness this morning, even Noah who seemed shyer than the others. Pack bonds. They were my Pack brothers; they were supposed to be like my family, no, closer than that. I sighed and Antonio dropped his hand from my chin, letting me look away at last. "I'm sorry. I'm still trying to understand it. It felt right to the wolf this morning but the human…"

"Don't apologize, princess. I'm proud of everything you have accomplished. I have to admit though, that I was surprised by the way you handled things this morning," he said softly and I looked up at him to see him smiling slightly. "I thought for sure you would have run for the hills when Reese and Noah grabbed you but you didn't. Your wolf is strong, princess; she knows what she's doing. Just remember that if you ever feel uncomfortable—"

"Just say so or give them a good kick in the ass if they don't listen," I interrupted, already knowing the phrase by heart, "I know." Antonio's grinned broadened and he leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, just like Nick had. I relaxed but only slightly. I wanted for the closeness of Pack bonds to be okay but the human wouldn't give in. It was growing fainter, yes. After all, I had been sleeping with Antonio and holding hands with Nick for weeks now. But somehow my reaction—or more specifically, my wolf's reaction—to Reese had set the human off. I had felt the wolf purr around Reese, completely accepting him—though I have no idea as what exactly—, while the human dragged behind the wolf, trying to keep up, and not liking one bit how Reese made me feel.

"I'll be back, princess," Antonio said, pulling me out of my thoughts, as he gave my hand a light squeeze and took off towards the car. I turned around and went back inside to find Elena waiting for me. I flushed, knowing that she had heard my conversation with Antonio, but she just smiled.

"You'll get used to it, I promise, hon. It'll get easier," she said, sympathy clearly in her eyes. I nodded and she said, "Go get changed. You still have a lot of training to get through."

Antonio POV

I glanced around the table, trying to gauge my sons' reactions. As I looked at Nick beside me, he smiled an encouraging smile but quickly turned to also look at the boys. I know I wasn't asking for something simple. Bringing Kim here to live with us would change things, I knew, but hopefully for the better. Maybe she could help us balance out the high levels of testosterone, who knew? I continued to watch my children, fear rising within me as they remained silent. I already had my Alpha's permission for this, now I just needed my children's.

"I'm all for it," Reese suddenly said and I almost breathed a sigh of relief. Though, I should have known he would agree. He'd only been a day with Kim and he was already treating her like a wolf would treat a mate. I wonder…no, later.

"Me too," Noah said and I couldn't help the smile that escaped my lips then. Noah had also taken to my princess but Reese's possessiveness of her had pushed him back. Nick hadn't really cared though, both in wolf form and human. He was just being Nick. I turned to look at my last child, the one that hadn't said a word from the moment we got home that afternoon. He was furious with his grounding but he had earned it. He glared at the table and, when I asked him to look at me, he turned his glare on me.

"What do you mean by 'small changes'?" he asked, the anger in his voice matching that in his eyes. I understood why he disliked Kim but he needed to learn this lesson. He needed to stop being so dependent of me and the others and start relying on himself.

"Small things, Max. For example, _always_ leaving the toilet seat down, no walking around the house _naked_—"

"Seriously?" Max asked astounded. I raised an eyebrow at him in warning but he ignored it and continued to glare at me. I held his gaze, drawing the wolf out, and saw Max's wolf back down from mine. Good.

"Yes, Max. Seriously. Kim is a newly turned werewolf and she isn't used to everything that being a werewolf entails," I said firmly, trying to make him see the difficulty of Kim's situation, but it was useless.

"But why does she have to come here? Why can't she stay at Stonehaven?" he suddenly yelled. Reese hissed a warning at him, his protectiveness of her ever so evident, but Max ignored him and got up quickly, sending his chair flying. He stalked out of the room and half a minute later I heard his bedroom door slam shut.

I sighed and passed a hand through my hair. Max was going to be difficult about this, more than I had anticipated. I looked over at Reese and saw that he was trying to keep his wolf in check. Yes, we were definitely going to have problems when Kim came here, not between her and Max, but between Max and Reese. I stood then and walked out of the dinning room and went straight to Max's room, without saying a word to the others. There was one card I could use, and would use, if Max refused to cooperate. Addison. I hated to use it but he was outnumbered in this fight, so he was going to have to give in. I opened the door to Max's room and strode in to face my rebellious child.

* * *

><p>Two days later, I was driving to Stonehaven with Reese. I had gotten Max to agree to Kim coming to live with us albeit reluctantly. I hadn't wanted to leave immediately after having his consent; he was pissed as it is. So I waited a couple of days to give him time to settle down and mentally prepare himself. So far, so good, but I would have to keep a closer eye on him when Kim came. I was afraid he might do something to get her to leave.<p>

Reese sighed beside me and I eyed him out of the corner of my eye. This was a complication I had not foreseen. It wasn't really a complication though, but Kim was confused enough as it is, I don't think she'd be able to understand this. Yes, her wolf was strong in her and I knew she could feel its pull towards Reese. Clay had once told me that it was his wolf that chose Elena; he just went along for the ride. Somehow I get the feeling that that's what happened here. It didn't happen often but when it did, there was no denying the wolf. Reese has realised what has happened but I can see he's having a hard time accepting it. Whatever had happened to him in Australia had made him stop dating girls for a while. Nick had been worried about the kid but he'd gotten back into eventually. Now though, Reese's wolf had mated him with Kim and wolves mate for life, whether he liked it or not, but he obviously liked it. Kim, however, hadn't realized it, or maybe she had, I don't know, either way it's confusing the hell out of her.

Nick had talked with Reese last night, after he asked to accompany me. I knew Reese wouldn't hurt Kim, his wolf would never allow this if they were truly mated, but Kim was still coming to terms with herself and her wolf. She needed time and so did Reese. Nick told me that Reese thought that the entire situation was one sided, that his wolf must have lost his mind or something. Clearly not true. Kim was good at hiding her reactions but I knew her well enough to know how Reese affected her. Reese did not and had not seen this. I could only hope that, in time, they figured it out for themselves.

Kim POV

The keys flew under my hands as the raced across the keyboard. I had spent the entire morning training and Clay had finally given me a break. I hurt all over. He had pushed me far today. I was getting better, he said, but I could still do better. I doubted it but said nothing. After an hour of training that morning, I had accumulated more bruises than I had throughout my entire training. He eventually took mercy on me and gave me much needed break. After scarfing down lunch, I came to the study and started to play. Learning to kill wasn't easy but it was necessary. I wasn't upset about the lessons, just frustrated that my new life meant that I would most likely have to kill people to survive. I'd really rather be singing and playing my frustration off but I couldn't. The people in this house had bionic hearing after all.

I heard the door open but I kept my eyes closed as I felt the keys under my hands. I felt more at ease if I didn't see what was around me and focused entirely on my music. Only after I played my last note, did I open my eyes and almost yelped. Before me was another cause of my frustration. Reese. Damn it. What the hell is he doing here? I saw movement beside Reese and swerved my gaze to see Antonio, who I'd failed to notice because Reese had occupied my full attention.

"That was beautiful, princess," Antonio said as he strode around the piano towards me. He laid a hand on my shoulder and beamed down at me as I flushed and looked down at the keyboard. "I need to go speak with Jeremy but I'll be right back, okay, sweetheart?" he asked softly above my head. I looked up to see him still smiling and I nodded. He gave my shoulder a light squeeze and left, giving Reese a look I couldn't interpret from the doorway before closing the door.

The moment the door closed, I kept my eyes on the piano keys. I really didn't want to look at Reese. My insides were squirming and my heartbeat was already accelerating. The wolf wasn't helping either. She was pacing, purring, as she begged me to go to Reese. I closed my eyes, moving my hands on the keyboard, preparing to start another song to fill the silence of the room. His scent reached me before I felt him beside me and I had to work hard to keep my breath steady. I opened my eyes just in time to see him sit down next me. Oh God.

"How long have you been playing for? You're amazing," he said and I stole a glance at him to see him smiling at me, completely oblivious to my awkwardness. His statement had two possible meanings but I was inclined to think that he meant my music and not me.

"S-since I was s-six," I stammered, keeping my eyes on the blackness of the piano. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my thigh, jumping at the contact. Reese quickly removed it and I turned to face him. His smile had faded but that didn't mean I didn't adore his features any less.

"Can you sing?" he asked, repeating his question from the other day, acting as if I hadn't just jumped like a skittish kitten. I hadn't meant to, I just hadn't expected his touch. I wanted it but I couldn't see how I could fix it now.

"Kind of," I said, keeping my voice as steady as possible, while I gazed into his eyes. I saw them twinkle and his smile returned. And it took my breath away. What the hell, Kim? Get a grip on yourself! I turned away from him to look back at the keys just as he spoke.

"Would you sing for me?" he whispered. I closed my eyes. Yes, I would and I wanted to but I didn't want him to see the broken me. If I sang, he would see it no matter what song I sang. My music expressed who I was. If it was a happy song, he'd see that I wasn't truly happy, that something was missing. But maybe there was a way around that, knowing two languages had its advantages after all.

I placed my hands on the initial keys without answering him and began. As soon as I started singing, I felt relieved. It had been a long time since I'd been able to play and sing at the same time. The song was sad and I felt its sadness but I didn't care. I let the feelings flow through me as I sang. I was right at home. The song was encouraging as well, giving you hope and strength to get through life. It was a song that I had listened to often on my bad days which had been much more frequent than I would have liked.

The frustration I had been feeling since Antonio and the guys had left and that Clay had enlarged with his lessons washed away. I had been frustrated because of my inability to comprehend what it was that I felt for Reese or why I felt it after knowing him for only a day. I just didn't understand it. I couldn't understand the wolf any better. Why was she so enthralled with Reese? What did Reese have that the others didn't? But I didn't think about this as I sang and played. I focused entirely on the song and the melancholy it brought forth in me, and I knew Reese could feel and see it. Sometime throughout the song, I heard my audience expand but I didn't look at them and kept my eyes on my hands or on the black piano.

When I finished, silence filled the room. I carefully looked up to see that everyone in the household was here. Antonio, Jeremy, Elena, Clay and the twins had come to see. The twins stared at me in awe, making me blush. I glanced around the room but left my eyes on Antonio as I waited for his reaction. I knew he might have gotten the gist of the song but he hadn't understood it completely. Jeremy would have. I have no idea how many languages he knew exactly but Spanish was one of them.

I don't know how long it took but, eventually, Antonio smiled and started clapping, followed closely by the others, including the Alpha himself. I flushed and looked down at my hands, seeing how Reese put his hand on my thigh again so I didn't jump this time. I closed my eyes as he gave me a light squeeze but quickly removed his hand.

"That was beautiful, princess," Antonio said from behind me. I hadn't even heard him move. I quickly got up and turned to face him. He smiled down at me with a smile that filled me with warmth. It was a smile that I had seen many times over the last few weeks. He was proud of me and happy for me. He pulled me to him, embracing me, and I hugged him back despite the company. I just really needed the hug as the shock of what I'd just done hit me. I'd sung in front of all these people. The last time I'd tried to sing in front of an audience, the tension almost hadn't let me finish the song. Natalie, my teacher, had then stopped putting me in recitals but kept me in her classes until I was ready. I was pulled out of the academy before I was, though.

I pulled back from Antonio and looked up into his eyes, drowning in their warmth. Over the weeks, we'd talked about my music and he knew what it all meant to me, about my grandmother. So he knew this was important. I'm sure he figured it was important as well because I had never sung for them. And now I'd sung for Reese. First, I'd talked about my home to him when I hadn't even done that with Tonio and now I'd sung for him. Oh God. What was this guy doing to me?

I turned to the others as they complemented me on my singing and made me flush some more. The others soon left and Elena gratefully took Reese with them, leaving me alone with Antonio.

"Are you okay, princess?" he asked softly as he took my hand and led me to the couch. I nodded as I sat down and kept my eyes on the unlit fireplace. I was still trying to figure out what the hell I had just done. "Thank you," he said suddenly once he'd sat down beside me. I turned sharply to look at him.

"For what?" I asked. I racked my brain, trying to understand why he would say thank you. What did I do?

"For sharing that side of yourself with us," he said gently. Oh, right. That part of myself that I'd kept hidden but, apparently, for nought. They hadn't pushed me away, they hadn't laughed, they hadn't teased, nothing. They'd applauded. They'd like it, I think, or maybe they were just being kind, who cares? It didn't matter, not really. If they liked it, good, if they hadn't and they'd applauded anyway…that was more than I could have ever hoped for. I smiled up at him and he grinned back, pulling me to him. "I wanted to ask you something, sweetheart," he said into my ear. I pulled back and gave him my complete attention. He smiled and said, "I was hoping that you would consider moving in with me and the boys."

I stared at him, sure that I was mistaken and that I'd heard wrong. He was asking me to go live with him? Okay, didn't see that one coming. I had thought about it, true, but was it what I really wanted? I thought about Nick, Noah, Reese…and Max. I mentally cringed. "What does Max say?" I asked softly, keeping my eyes on the fireplace.

"Max has agreed that you can come live with us," he said without missing a beat. Something tells me Max would have needed much coaxing for him to agree to that, but I know Antonio wouldn't lie to me so it had to be true. But was it what I wanted? Yes, there was no denying that. I wanted to be a part of Tonio's family, more so now that I'd met them. But Max… Would I really force myself into a house where I wasn't wanted? Come to think of it, did Antonio really want me there or was he just doing this because he felt responsible for me in some weird way?

"And what about you? What do you say?" I whispered, still not looking at him. He hesitated for a moment and then gently took my chin in his hand and lifted it so I could look into his eyes.

"Princess, of course I want you to come live with me. I would have it no other way. You are my family now," he said softly and my eyes filled with tears. Instantly, he pulled me to him, rubbing circles into my back, but I didn't need that. I wasn't stressed or sad, I was happy. Antonio wanted me in his family and wanted me to go live with him and his sons. Suddenly, Tonio pulled away, holding on to my face with both his hands and wiping away the tears with his fingers. "I love you, sweetheart. You do not have to give me an answer now, but my offer will stand for as long as you want it to." I couldn't stop the sobs that assaulted me with his 'I love you' and he pulled me to him again. When was the last time someone had said they loved me? Too long. From the moment we met, Antonio had cared about me and treated me like a princess and now he loved me. He was like the father I had never had, our protector. How could I say no?

I started shaking my head as he held me against him and I pulled back. His face fell when he saw me shaking my head but quickly hid his reaction. "N-no," I said shakily, the sobs not leaving my body, "I d-don't need any m-more time… I want to go with you." The smile that lit up Antonio's face in that moment could have lit up the world. He embraced me fiercely one more time then hastily got up, saying that he had to go call Nick. I followed him out and went to the washroom to clean up my tear stained face.

So that was it. I was going to live with Antonio in a house full of men. I'd might regret this one day, or not, who knew? Besides, I'd never really been able to get along well with girls; they were always so much more bitchy than boys. I just wish that I could fix whatever problem Max had with me and soon. I didn't want to make things uncomfortable for him or for anyone else there. I knew it was probably more logical for me to stay here, with the only other two known female werewolves, but this wasn't my place, somehow it just wasn't. It wasn't my home, but maybe Sorrentino Estate could be.

I stepped out of the washroom once I deemed myself decent for the public and ran head long into Reese, his scent hitting me like a shot of tequila. I looked up into his dazzling blue eyes and returned the smile he was sending my way. I was too happy right then to care about my awkward feelings for him.

"Is it true you're going to come live in a house full of men?" he asked as he took my hand in his. I tensed momentarily but let it go. Nick had done this as well. Pack bonds, that's all it is. The wolf still bounced inside me, ecstatic about the physical contact, but I ignored her. It wasn't easy, I felt like a bottle in which someone had tried to mix water and oil, shaking it violently. They made contact but never really blended. That's what it felt like for me to have the human and the wolf inside of me. Two sides of the same coin. It was all just so confusing.

"Yep," I said with a smile as he led me to the back door, my face flushing despite the fact that it was Pack bonds that held my hand in his.

"You sure you aren't going to go nuts? Five men, one girl. You're going to be getting a lot of attention," he said, giving my hand a light squeeze as we walked outside. I can't say that I minded to be honest but I wasn't going to say that to him. After all, I was only going to get so much attention because I was a female werewolf. I would never get it otherwise.

"I don't think so, but Antonio has given me permission to kick your asses if you don't leave me alone," I said as he sat me down on the steps of the back porch, never letting go of my hand, and he turned to me with a mischievous smile.

"Oh? I thought it wasn't a good idea to kick a Vic," he said, his eyes twinkling as my breath hitched.

"Yeah, so? That doesn't mean that it can't or shouldn't be done," I said, returning his never-ending smile and then turned to watch the twins as they practiced archery with Jeremy. I'd been learning as well and wasn't so bad. Reese continued to hold my hand in his and I wondered once again what it was that made me feel like this. I had opened up to him twice already. It was obvious that I trusted him without really realizing it, but did he trust me?

I heard footsteps from behind us and quickly let go of Reese's hand. The wolf whined at the loss but I dismissed her. Antonio appeared by my side a moment later and smiled at us as he sat down beside me. He asked me if it was okay if we left tomorrow. It was.

Antonio POV

For one breathtaking moment, I had really thought that she had said no. I had been so convinced that she would say yes that her head shaking had taken me by surprise. But she _had_ said yes and I couldn't be any happier. I had been so happy in that moment that I could only think of sharing the news, immediately getting up to call Nick. He noticed how ecstatic I was and was happy for me. And for Kim.

I hadn't forgotten the main reason I had wanted her to come live with me in the first place. Kim was broken inside. She had started healing over the weeks, her smiles and laughter becoming more frequent. But nothing like the smiles and laughter that came from her when she was around Reese. Sometimes it seemed like he made her nervous, but others it seemed like she was right at home by his side. And yesterday she'd sung for him. Elena told me that she had seen them holding hands when I'd gone to make my phone call to Nick. Most fathers feel very protective of their daughters when they had boyfriends but I knew Reese, and I couldn't think of anyone better suited for her. Elena didn't seem worried either and since she knew exactly what had happened in Australia, I could find no reason for them not to be together. I just wonder how long it will take them to realize that they're mates.

I entered the security code at the iron gates of the estate and looked in the rear-view mirror. Reese was watching Kim with concerned eyes but she didn't seem to notice as she stared out into the wilderness. I could smell the tension streaming off her and I knew she was nervous. She was broken, although sometimes it wasn't easy to tell. It had been crystal clear yesterday though, when she had sung for the first time. She had an amazing voice. I had thought I was imagining it when I had heard it from the kitchen while I spoke with Jeremy. I hadn't understood much but Jeremy had translated it for me later that afternoon. She was broken and that song demonstrated it. The sadness that I had seen in her eyes had made me feel helpless, knowing that there was nothing I could do to take that hurt away from them. I don't know what had happened to her before she came here, but I knew I would do everything in my power to heal her and make her happy.

I smiled as I remembered her tears of joy when I told her I loved her, like the time I told her that I would be there for as along as she wanted or needed me because I wanted to be there. Slowly, it seems, I'm starting to discover bits and pieces of her. She had rarely received hugs and kisses and had rarely been given an 'I love you'. It made me sad and angry at the same time. Sad because of the suffering she must have endured for years with her parents and angry because I wanted to teach them a lesson but couldn't. Besides, it would mean nothing. Kim was here now, safe and, hopefully, happy.

Kim POV

The ride to Sorrentino Estate was made mostly in silence. I'm sure both Reese and Antonio could smell the tension coming off of me in waves. I wasn't afraid, I was nervous. What if I got there and Max had another tantrum? Or worse, what if Antonio changed his mind? But he had said he loved me and had assured me that everything would be perfect in my new home. My home. It felt so odd. For years, the only home I've ever really known was the home that was thousands of kilometres from here. I didn't even consider Holland my home. I sighed and I felt Reese lay his hand over mine as I looked out the window, staring at the infinite wilderness. I didn't pull away from his touch, though. Pack bonds, despite the fact that he made the skin he was touching tingle with warmth.

Back at Stonehaven, saying goodbye hadn't been as easy as I thought it would be. I had grown very attached to the twins and they hadn't been happy to see me go. However, I would be coming to spend the weekend every two weeks because Clay needed to keep up with my training. So, I'd be able to still help them with their homework and music lessons when I came. Elena had given me a hug goodbye and wished me luck with the mad men. Jeremy had shaken my hand and had said much the same as Elena with one of his rare smiles. The surprise came when Clay took my hand to shake. I knew he didn't really do physical contact outside the Pack and, even though I knew I was Pack, I hadn't expected it. It was good to be reminded that I really was Pack, I needed to be reminded.

We had passed an iron gate a few minutes ago and I knew we were getting close to the house. My nerves starting acting up again and the tension streamed through me now.

"Relax," Reese whispered as he scooted over to me, taking my hand in both of his and rubbing circles into it. I closed my eyes and nodded, trying to calm myself. Nothing bad was going to happen. This isn't going to be like my first day at school. The meeting with the guys hadn't been like it either, albeit Max's reaction. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my breathing, and took a good whiff of Reese's scent which instantly calmed me. Odd. It could make my heart rate reach limits unknown and still my accelerated breathing.

I felt the car pull to a stop but I didn't open my eyes. Was I really ready to come live with Antonio and his sons or was I just kidding myself? Could I really live with five men and not go crazy? Did they even want me here? Oh God, what the hell am I doing?

"Kim?" Antonio called from the front seat. I opened my eyes to see him looking back at me, concern clouding his eyes. "Sweetheart, if you're not ready, it's okay," he said softly and reached out to me, taking my hand in his, while Reese still held my other on his thigh.

"No, I'm…I'm okay," I said softly and Tonio's eyes flashed briefly. I mentally cringed. No lying. "I'm just nervous, is all," I said now, trying to fix things. Antonio studied me, holding my gaze until I looked away submissively. He let go of my hand and sat back but kept looking at me.

"Welcome home, princess," he said and I lifted my gaze to see the house I hadn't noticed behind him. Okay, it wasn't a house, it was mansion. A seventeenth century Italian Renaissance mansion to be exact. The bricks on the façade were the red that was typical of the era, as were as well the arched floor-to-ceiling windows. A large circular balcony sat on top of the huge double entry doors and the abnormally large porch. I gaped at the masterpiece; certain I had travelled back in time because of the mansion's perfect state, until I heard a chuckle, no, two chuckles. I swerved my gaze to see Antonio beaming at me and then looked at Reese who shared Tonio's smile. I looked back at the mansion and realized something. This was my new home.


	13. Ch 13 No Looking Back

_Hey, guys! I'd love to hear some thoughts and comments about the story and my collaboration with SuperNatural1985. _

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim will soon be introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling _and _Disastrous_ and _It Begins.

**This is Home – Switchfoot**

I've got my memories  
>They're always inside of me<br>But I can't go back  
>Back to how it was<p>

I believe it now  
>I've come too far<br>But I can't go back  
>Back to how it was<p>

Created for a place  
>I've never known<p>

This is home  
>Now I'm finally where I belong, where I belong<br>Yeah, this is home  
>I've been searching for a place of my own<br>Now I've found it, maybe this is home  
>Yeah, this is home <p>

Ch 13 No Looking Back

I walked through the garage door into a hallway and couldn't stop staring. The garage had been filled with expensively beautiful cars and the house…the house was just amazing. As we reached the foyer I heard several pairs of footsteps coming towards us and I turned to see Noah, Nick and Max coming down the hall. Nick didn't even say hello and the moment he reached me he swung me around in a hug, making me flush furiously.

"Thank God you agreed to come live with us, gorgeous. I have no idea how we've been able to live in peace with such high concentrations of testosterone," Nick grinned as he held on to my hips. I flushed at his 'compliment' and stepped away, not looking at him.

"If we've survived, I'm sure it wasn't because of you, Nick," Reese growled behind me. Nick just shrugged and I turned my gaze to Noah, who sent me a smile I returned. Noah was obviously shyer than the other guys and it was nice to know that I wasn't the only shy one around here. I then looked over at Max who had a blank look on his face for once. I guess he didn't dare glare at me with everyone looking his way. I held his gaze, letting my wolf peek out, just like Antonio had told me. I was not to let Max think he was more dominant than me or he would never respect me as an older Pack member. Max eventually looked away but only after getting a low growl from Antonio. I mentally cringed at this. I didn't want to depend on anyone for these dominant games as Antonio called them. I needed to know that I could look after myself.

"Come on, sweetheart," Antonio said, stepping closer and laying a hand on my shoulder. "Let me give you a tour."

Leaving my duffel bag by the entrance, I followed Antonio as he gave me a tour of the house with Reese, well, the ground floor at least. Kitchen, dinning room, studies, living room, games room. God, the house is humungous. Although it was from the 17th century and still held most of its classical style, it also had a modern touch, making it look less like Buckingham Palace and more like a celebrity's house. Tonio then led me to the basement which was divided into separate rooms but he only showed me two of them, the training room and the weight room. Antonio would be continuing my training here but since most of the knowledge was already in my mind, I just had to put it into practice now. Which meant that I would be fighting the other boys soon. Oh joy. Reese laughed when he saw my face as Antonio told me this and I couldn't help but smile at his laughter.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," he said with a chuckle. Antonio shot him an unreadable look and he quickly retracted. "I mean I'll go as easy as I can on you." Ah, now I understood Tonio's look. When I first started fighting with Clay, it became plainly obvious that he was much, much better than me so I couldn't understand why he kept fighting me or didn't go easier on me. I eventually figured it out though. If he went easier on me, he would be killing me. No mutt would ever go easier on me and I had to learn to fight with the odds against me, even if that meant getting my ass kicked by Clay for several hours a day.

"Okay," I said with a smile, "Just don't expect me to go easy on you." Antonio stole a glance back at me and smiled. I smiled right back, knowing full well what he was thinking. When we first met and I'd been so open and forthcoming with him, I'd frozen up, shocked by myself. Now though it just seemed like I was being me. Hard to know sometimes when you've spent years trying to hide yourself. Still, I wasn't sure if it was because I had healed somewhat over the weeks at Stonehaven or if it was because of Reese. I had yet to figure out what it was that the guy did to me.

As we exited the basement, Nick hailed us in the hallway. "Do you guys mind setting the table for dinner while I show Kim her room?" he asked and didn't even bother waiting for an answer. He wrapped an arm around my waist and led me away from the men. I heard a soft growl behind me and then a chuckle I recognized as Antonio's as Nick led me up the stairs. He led me down the upstairs hallway and stopped by one of the many rooms. I'm pretty sure the mansion could have housed Ziona Chana and his entire family, the world's largest family, I might add; the man had 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren.

Nick opened the door and stepped back to let me in first. I stepped inside and stopped in my tracks. The room was only slightly larger than the one I'd had at Stonehaven but it was beautiful. The wall opposite the mahogany king-sized bed was a dark shade of purple while the other three walls were a lighter purple, so light that they were almost white. A dark brown love seat sat next to the large windows, matching the colour of the mahogany furniture, including the large bookcase in the far corner, filled to the brim with books. There were two doors on the dark purple wall, a bathroom and probably a walk-in wardrobe, although there was a large wardrobe in the corner already. In the room there was also a dresser and a full-length mirror. I felt more than saw Nick move in front of me and I only turned to look at him when he cleared his throat.

"Do you like it?" he asked with a grin. I nodded, not sure of I could speak at that exact moment, and looked around the room again. I could still pick up a faint smell of paint so they had painted it not so long ago, probably a few days. They had already been expecting me and had prepared the room just for me. I felt my eyes start prickling and I didn't even bother holding the tears back. Within seconds Nick had embraced me and was rubbing circles into my back just like his father always did. He eventually pulled away, keeping his arms around my waist, and said, "You don't have to cry, beautiful. If you don't like it, all you have to do is say so." I didn't laugh at his attempt at cheering me but lifted my gaze to his.

"I just…I never thought someone…anyone would ever go to so much trouble…" I trailed off as I dropped my gaze, suddenly feeling very stupid. The fact that I would never have thought that someone would ever go to so much trouble for me was just sad. But I could have never believed otherwise. No one had ever let me believe that I was worth so much. My grandmother, yes, and Abbey too, but this…it was just so much. More tears sprang to my eyes and my throat tightened just as Nick took a hold of my chin, lifting my eyes to his again.

"Anytime, Kim, always, okay?" he said softly and I nodded into his hand. He grinned at me before letting go of my chin but kept his other arm around my waist. He moved beside me and started leading me to one the doors. He opened it and flicked on the lights and I gasped. Good God, I have never seen so many clothes. Or shoes. The large walk-in-closet reminded me of the ones celebrities normally have and show off on TV shows. It was the size of a small room and packed with items. I blinked hard to make sure I wasn't imagining it all and I heard Nick chuckle. "I'd love to show you around but dinner's ready and the wolves are getting hungry," he said and I could hear the smile in his voice. I turned to look at him and nodded, retuning the smile that was painted on his face. He lifted a hand and wiped away the last few tears before taking my hand and leading me from the closet and the room, my room. He led me down the hall, pointing out his, Antonio's, Noah's and Max's rooms. Reese lived in the guest house though and, for some reason, my wolf didn't like that very much.

Nick only let go of my hand once we'd stepped into the dining room and he'd led me to the seat beside him. He even pulled the chair out for me, making me flush. Antonio sat at the head of the long table with Nick on his right hand side. Reese sat beside me and gave me a light squeeze on my thigh once I'd sat down but then removed it before Nick took his seat. Antonio asked if I liked the room and I nodded, adding a thank you but he just waved it away. I grinned at him just as Max and Noah walked in with the food. Noah sat on Antonio's other side and Max beside Noah, meaning he was right in front of me. No one spoke throughout the meal and Max continued to maintain his neutral face, but I could see his dislike in his eyes, no matter how much he tried to hide it. And here I thought he'd gotten over it. Not even close it seems.

I helped Nick and Reese with clean up duty after the meal but I was soon swept away by Antonio. He led me down the hall to a door he had bypassed earlier. He didn't say a word as he opened it and stepped inside, leaving me to follow. I walked in and once again stopped just inside the room. It was a music room. A beautiful black Roland piano sat in the left hand corner by the window; massive shelves held dozens of music books and sheets; a black leather loveseat, like the one in my room, sat on the right hand side of the room and beside it stood a light brown Spanish guitar. As I moved into the room, I noticed a desk behind the door. On a closer inspection, I found blank music sheets, pens, pencils, rhythm timers, and the works. I spun to face Antonio and ran at him, falling into his arms. He pulled me tight against him, muffling my thank you and silencing my sobs. Once I'd calmed down enough, I pulled away and looked up into Antonio's loving eyes.

"Don't cry, princess," he said softly as he wiped away my tears. "You know I do this because I love you and I want to make you happy," he added. So he must have spoken with Nick about my breakdown upstairs. I didn't care though. These men were just so caring and so loving. What the hell did I do to deserve this? After everything I'd been through in life, I never would have thought that one day I'd be living with such kind people, much less men.

"No one's ever been so…thoughtful, caring or as loving as you have been with me. I don't… I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me," I whispered and Antonio pulled me to him again. I knew I could always tell Antonio the truth about these things. I'd done so from the very beginning and I wasn't going to stop now, no matter how silly I felt.

"You don't have to thank me, sweetheart. Your smiles and laughter are all the thank you I need," he said gently as he rubbed circles into my back. I nodded into his chest and then extracted myself from him. There was one way I could calm myself down after experiencing the emotions I had today. First, the goodbyes at Stonehaven, the tension of the car ride here, not knowing what awaited me within these walls, my breakdown in my new room and now my most recent breakdown here, in this music room. I walked over to the piano bench and sat, grazing my fingers over the keys as I prepared to play a song, any song. It didn't matter as long as I played and released the emotions within me. I chose the first one that popped into my head and began.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Antonio sit down on the love seat and felt his eyes on me. Eventually, Reese joined him as did Nick, who stood leaning against the door frame. As I played the last note, Nick whistled.

"Wow," he said, winking at me. "That was amazing. Please tell me you're going to give me a voice performance now. I'm feeling a little insulted that you sang for Reese and not for me," he said with a grin and a look Reese's way. I flushed and looked down at the keyboard, shaking my head slightly. I didn't want to sing. Okay, not true, I did want to sing, but the fear of being judged was still there. Not because of the men before me, no, it was because of the one that might take advantage of my weaknesses. Max. He was obviously not happy with my moving here and if he really was more in touch with his inner wolf, then showing him my weaknesses was not a good idea. Even though he wasn't here in the room, I knew he'd be able to hear me sing with his bionic hearing.

"Nick, can we talk for a moment?" I heard Antonio say and I looked up just in time to see him and Nick walking out the door, closing it behind them. I stared at the door, unsure of what the hell had just happened, until I smelt Reese. I turned to face him as he sat down beside me just like he had at Stonehaven.

"You okay?" he whispered as he took my hand in his, laying them over his thigh. I kept my gaze on the keys as I nodded but then I suddenly felt compelled to tell him the truth. I have no idea why.

"I'm just new to all this," I said softly and turned to face him to find a slight frown on his face, but his eyes were flooded with concern. "My family…they never, I mean…" I stopped and swallowed, looking away from him, but I felt his grip on my hand tighten.

"You weren't happy with them?" he asked softly but I sensed a bit of anger in his tone. How…strange. I shook my head as I felt my body start trembling. Why the hell was I talking about this with him? Did I want them to see the broken me? Yes, I did, but only because I wanted to be truly accepted for who I really was. I couldn't take that risk though. I couldn't risk them turning away from me because of my weakness. Tonio and Nick knew, that was enough. Then why did I feel the need to tell Reese everything? "Did they hurt you?" he suddenly asked and there was no mistaking the anger in his voice now. I looked up to see his wolf lurking closely behind his eyes.

"N-no. Well, only if they felt I disrespected them or—" He cut me off with a growl.

"So they did hurt you," he said harshly. I stared at him in shock. Why was he so angry? It's not like it had happened to him. Besides, I was no longer with my family. Suddenly, the door flew open and in walked Nick and Antonio. Tonio looked between me and Reese with a frown creasing his forehead.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a firm tone, now keeping his gaze on Reese. I felt Reese's grip on me relax slightly but he didn't let go.

"We… I mean, I was just—" I started but Reese abruptly let go of my hand and stood, moving from the room. I sat shock still as I watched him leave and pass by Antonio without a word. Nick went after him just as Antonio came over to me. He sat beside me, taking Reese's seat, and wrapped an arm around me.

"What happened, princess?" he asked gently. I told him what happened and I was only mildly aware that I was talking to him about my family. I never had before and I was surprised to see some of Reese's anger in his eyes as well. "They hit you?" he asked softly despite the anger flaring in his eyes.

"Only sometimes and it was normally just a slap. Like if they thought I was disrespectful or broke one of their rules, but—" He cut me off as he held up his hand.

"No, Kim. I do not, under any circumstances, condone the use of violence on children. I'm sorry you had to live with that, princess." I stared at him, not really understanding. Yes, I had hated it when they'd hit me but I'd learned to live with those punishments. They hadn't been frequent; after all, my will to fight back had been broken long ago so I had rarely gotten into trouble with my parents. However, sometimes they'd hit me when I had known they were in the wrong or when I hadn't been disrespectful or broken their rules and it had just been a misunderstanding. But I had never argued with them, even if I knew I was right. It would have been useless, pointless, and it would have just earned me another slap on the face.

Still, I couldn't understand why Reese and Antonio would be angry about this. I knew that a lot of people, kids and teens, received this kind of punishment from their parents. A good smack in time is the best prevention, I had heard my stepfather say to his friends one time and they had all agreed. All of them had been fathers. I pointed this out to Antonio but it just made the anger in his eyes burn brighter and the wolf peeked out. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, the wolf was gone but the anger remained, albeit somewhat diminished.

"Your stepfather. Did he do anything else? Call you names or…touch you?" he whispered, trying to hide the anger that I could see in his eyes. It took me a moment to realize what he'd meant with 'touch you'. When I understood, I shook my head vigorously.

"No, he never touched me. And they both, he and my mother, called me and my sister names but only if they were really angry or had had a really bad day at work or—" His growl cut me short. He moved a hand to my cheek so I wouldn't look away from his furious gaze, but gently, always so gentle.

"Kim, I wish I could change what you went through, I really do. But I promise you that that will never happen to you here, okay? I promise—"

"I know," I interrupted him and lifted my hand to his on my cheek, covering it with mine. "I've always known," I said truthfully. I had never feared that they would hurt me, not physically. It was plainly obvious that the Pack was nothing like the family I had known. Tears filled my eyes once again as I realized how much Tonio cared for me. Yes, he had said that he loved me, that he cared for me and that he would always be there but I needed the reassurances. I needed to know that it was all still true. Antonio embraced me until I had calmed down once more and then said that he should go check on Reese. I nodded and walked out of the music room with him. He started following Nick's and Reese's scents that led down the hall to the back door and I went to the washroom.

I cleaned myself as best I could but by the time I walked out of the washroom, my eyes were still a little red and puffy. I walked into the hallway and started heading towards the stairs when I was called from behind. I turned to see Noah heading towards me with a smile on his face that quickly disappeared when he saw my face. He studied me with concern for a moment as if unsure if to comment or not.

"I'm fine," I said, answering his unasked question with a small smile. He assessed me for a moment more before returning my smile and nodding, his concern diminishing slightly. I filled with warmth at knowing that this guy also seemed to care about me. Really, how did I get so lucky? _You_ _call getting bitten by a werewolf lucky?_ I heard a voice say. Before I could linger on this, however, Noah spoke.

"Do you want to watch a movie with us? Max's making popcorn and I'm supposed to be getting the drinks. You in?" he grinned. I hesitated slightly, not really wanting to spend any time with Max, but I nodded all the same.

"Sure. Why not?" I said. After all, I really did want to start getting to know my Pack brothers, even if one of them seemed intent on hating me. It's not like I was keeping his father away from him anymore, he was here now with both of us. I followed Noah to the kitchen, which smelled a lot like popcorn, and we grabbed the drinks. Noah handed me two cans of beer but I refused them. He didn't so much as blink and quickly grabbed two cans of coke for me. As I followed him to the theatre room, I couldn't help but think that Noah and I were going to get along just fine. We were both shy but he seemed to accept things without questions asked and I really appreciated that. But I was too shy to say so.

Noah led me to the theatre room that Antonio had shown me earlier but I had been so entranced by the entire house that I had barely taken it in. The room looked like a miniature theatre with twenty or so armchairs that looked like they belonged in an airplane's first class. The walls were lined with shelves that held countless DVD's and two of the surround system's speakers had been placed at the back of the room for maximum effect. I tried not to gape as I followed Noah to the front of the room where Max was sitting. He scowled at me when he saw me but looked away at a warning look from Noah.

"So, what do you want to watch?" Noah asked. Max shot him a resentful look but Noah just ignored him and kept his eyes on me.

"Whatever you were going to watch before I tagged along," I said. I honestly couldn't care less what movie it was unless it was a terror movie. But even then I would endure it just for the sake of not letting Max see my weaknesses. Besides, it wasn't fair for me to choose the movie when Noah had invited me to their plans.

"An action movie but if you don't—"

"That's fine," I said. Noah nodded at me with a smile. Thankfully, he sat beside Max and motioned for me to sit beside him. I smiled a thank you smile to him and quickly sat down.

As the movie started to progress, I became less and less interested in it. It barely had a plot line and the main goal seemed to be making things blow up. A typical guy flick. Max really seemed to be enjoying it though and didn't even bother shooting glares my way when I looked at him. Now that I was able to focus on him and not his glares, I realized that he was actually quite good-looking. His eyes were just spectacular too; they reminded me of a calm sea. Of course, I knew that was just a deception; especially with the wolf in him. Drowsiness soon hit me and I fought relentlessly against it until the movie finished, by which time I knew to never watch another movie from that director again. I helped the guys clean up and then excused myself to my room.

I collapsed onto my bed, breathing in the faint smell of paint and wood. The furniture was obviously new as well. I was pretty sure that Nick had been in charge of choosing the paints and furniture for the room, just like I know he had been the one to get all of the clothes in my wardrobe. The guy had good taste, very good taste in fact. But no, he was not gay. That was about as likely as George Clooney finally settling down.

I lay there in bed for a while, just letting my thoughts wonder until they wondered into a distasteful subject. My family. I had been trying very hard not to think about them and I had mostly succeeded in the past few weeks, since I'd been focusing on my training and all. But now it was more difficult. Antonio had not only asked me to come live with him but had also asked me to become a part his family. Could someone join a family even if they already had one? In a way, I guess the Pack is the wolf's family, but what about the human? With my family I shared blood bonds, at least with my mother and sister, no matter how much I disliked it. Could I really just turn my back on them without looking back? Yes, sadly I think I could. I didn't love my family, maybe once upon a time I had but not any more. Too many things had happened, too many things had changed. I had changed.

I hadn't been happy with them for years and it had taken the bite of a werewolf to get me to leave them. I would never go back, I knew this now. Even if I were to leave the Sorrentinos—although right now I had no intention of doing that—I wouldn't go back to them, blood bonds or not. They had not been my family for what truly mattered. Love. I had received little or none of it from them. Maybe I could contact my sister Camille though. We hadn't always gotten along, we were siblings after all, but I had pushed her away. She didn't know why I'd done it but she didn't like me for it. I had done it to protect her from the worst of our mother's wrath and desperate lifestyle that she had led ever since we were little until she met Jon, my stepfather. Camille didn't see what I saw when I was seven, she was only three at the time, and I was thankful for that. She also didn't suffer the way I did when we arrived here. She had arrived at a younger age and the kids weren't that mean then but I had arrived at the beginning of puberty. I went through hell while she walked on sunshine. I didn't resent her for it though, but I was grateful that she was unaffected by being my sister too. I didn't love her however, we weren't close enough for that but I liked her enough. Yes, maybe I could keep in contact with her.

I definitely needed to contact Abbey though. Elena had offered me her computer back at Stonehaven so I could email her but I'd refused. I hadn't been ready yet, but now maybe I was. I was settling into my new home, my new family and Pack. I was happy in the house where I lived in for the first time in over a decade. I could feel the wounds from my past start to heal, albeit slowly and reluctantly. Yes, I think I am ready to contact her. But I would tell her the truth. No, not about being a werewolf, never that, but definitely everything else. I would tell her the truth about my years at school, the truth about my family, my father, everything. But what can I tell her that would explain my leaving the city? She knew me well and she would know if I was lying. A knock at my door intruded into my thoughts and I called my visitor to come in.

I wasn't surprised to see Antonio come in. I smiled at him and sat up tiredly. I knew he wouldn't be staying with me. Last night I'd asked him to put a stop to it when we got to Sorrentino Estate. He'd smiled at me and said that he was proud of me for finally letting go. I hadn't though but I knew Max wouldn't like me sleeping with his father, and I really didn't want the other guys to see it either. Besides, I'm nineteen for the love of God; I can sleep on my own, right?

"How are you doing, princess?" he asked gently as he sat down beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"I'm okay. How's Reese?" I asked, still finding it odd that he would have reacted like that.

"He's better, more relaxed," he said, tightening his grip on me. "Kim, you have to understand that the wolves in us are very dominant, protective and territorial. You're Pack now, so older Pack members will feel responsible for you." I nodded, just remembering the lessons with Jeremy all those weeks ago. Most of a werewolf's actions will be impulsive, solely based on the wolf's instincts, like the instinct to protect in this case. I felt a slight tingling in my stomach at knowing that Reese felt protective of me, so I had to remind myself that it was only because he was older than me and felt the need to do so.

"Antonio, I want to contact Abbey," I said and I felt him nod as he moved his head to lay against my shoulder. He didn't need to ask who Abbey was. Five weeks at Stonehaven had given us enough time to talk about things, even if it had taken me a while to open up. I didn't talk to him about my family but I did about Abbey. He knew she was like a sister to me and I had told him a few of our stories together. Sharing this with him had allowed me to acknowledge the growing bond between us and I didn't regret it. "But I need to give her a reason for leaving without warning. I was thinking…if you don't mind, I wanted to tell her that my…" I paused to swallow, trying to speak past the lump in my throat, "that my father had come to get me." I felt Tonio's grip on me tighten but he quickly released the pressure. He sighed and pulled away to look at me, holding on to my face with both of his hands.

"And what will happen if she ever wants to come see you? What will you tell her then?" He asked softly as he studied my face.

"I'll just say that you're my father and that the guys I live with are my foster family or half-brothers something," I said without missing a beat. I hadn't thought about my answer and I didn't regret giving it. Not after seeing Antonio's eyes flicker with happiness for a moment but then it was gone. I had already told Antonio about my father back at Stonehaven. He had asked me if I knew where my father was and I told him that he had taken off when I was four, end of story. He hadn't touched the subject since.

"If you're sure…" he said tentatively but I just smiled.

"I'm sure." Antonio smiled at my words and pulled me into an embrace me. After a while, he pulled away and took an envelope out of his jeans' back pocket.

"This is for you," he said gently but I could still hear the happiness behind his words. I took the envelope and expected it to bend at my touch but it didn't. It was stiff. I quickly opened it and couldn't hold in my gasp. Antonio chuckled as I pulled out the credit cards and inspected them, not daring to believe they were real. "You are my family now, princess. These cards have access to the Sorrentino accounts and you may use them for whatever and however you see fit." I looked up at him again and couldn't help the flood waters that sprang forward for the third time that day. I had never cried of happiness so much before.

Antonio chuckled as I hugged him but I pulled away sooner than I normally do because exhaustion was winning the battle against consciousness. Antonio nodded as he noticed this but said, "One last thing. On your dresser you have a laptop and a new cell phone with our numbers already registered. That includes all the Pack numbers, just in case." I went to say thank you but he held up his hand and whispered, "I just want your happiness, princess." And with that and a soft kiss on my cheek, he bid me goodnight and left.

For some reason, the knowledge that I could, and would, finally contact Abbey made the drowsiness disappear. I jumped off the bed, with my new credit cards in hand, and ran over to the laptop. A very expensive one I might add. Yes, I knew how to differentiate expensive laptops. You don't live eight years with an electrical engineer, three computers and two laptops at home without picking something up. I turned the comp on, dumping the credit cards on the dresser, and picked up the mobile phone, expensive of course, but I knew they could afford. That didn't mean it made me feel good. It just felt weird to have them spend so much money on me. Speaking of which…

I walked over to my walk-in-wardrobe and took a good look around. There were so many brands in here but I barely recognized half on them. I could find just about everything from Chanel to Dior to Forever 21, so not everything in here was _that _expensive. Still, it was obvious that Nick had been paying close attention to my likes in clothing and had listened closely on the time he'd asked me about clothes, so many weeks ago. However, I can only imagine what the hell a werewolf's supposed to do with Jimmy Choo's. Throw them at other werewolves? I sure as hell was not going to fight in them. I shook my head and made a mental note to bust Nick's ass for this as I walked out of the closet.

I went back to the laptop, sitting down, and opened my email account. As the page finished loading, I couldn't help but let the day's first tears of sadness fall. Eighty-three new emails. Seventy-five of them were from Abbey. The tears intensified as I read through them, starting from the beginning. She wasn't angry, not even now, the last email having been sent just two days ago. All of them had been pleas for me to contact her, to tell her if I was okay, if I needed help, anything. She hadn't given up on me, after all this time. I took a moment to calm myself, wishing I could go play the piano but it was a bit late for that, the others were probably in bed already. Maybe I could talk with Antonio to see if I could get a keyboard and some earphones up here, for when I didn't want to bother the others with my ruckus, much. Once I had relaxed, I sent her a two worded email. _Call me_, followed by my new cell phone number which was taped to the dresser.

I closed the laptop once it was sent and walked back to the bed, changing into my new Victoria's Secret pyjamas, a light blue silk gown that just covered my undies. Speaking of which, I hadn't checked out my new underwear. I went over to the wardrobe in the corner of the room and opened it. Oh my. I really hope that only Nick had gone to pick these out. While I could find some perfectly decent looking underwear that most girls would call sweet and sexy, I could also find some, if not most, that were just plain sexy. Way too sexy for me; in fact, they were pretty much naughty. I was so going to kill Nick. I mean, it's not like anyone was about to see my underwear anytime soon.

I closed the wardrobe, shaking my head again, and was suddenly looking forward to my next fight with Nick. I'd have to convince him to take me shopping soon though. There was no way in hell that I would be wearing some of those g-strings that barely covered a thing.

I then went over to the bookcase and again noticed that Nick really did pay attention. All of my favourite books were here, from the classics to urban fantasy to romance novels. Okay, I'd go easier on Nick next time we faced each other, if only slightly. I still owed him for the shoes and underwear.

I was about to get into bed when I decided I should probably get a glass of water. All that crying had left my throat uncomfortable dry. I didn't bother grabbing the matching light blue silk robe that was laying at the foot of the bed. It was almost midnight; I doubted anyone would be up at this hour. They all had work and school tomorrow. I stepped silently into the hallway and didn't close my door in case I woke anyone up with the noise. They were all werewolves after all.

I made my way through the house as silently as possible and thought about what I was going to say to Abbey tomorrow. I knew she wouldn't call now, it was too late. I knew what I was going to tell her, but how would I say it? I was going to tell her a lie in exchange for many truths, truths I hid from her for two years and a half. Even if she really wasn't pissed with me right now, she would be soon. Or not. Abbey was hard to predict at times, no matter how well I knew her.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice that the kitchen door was open and I walked right in, slamming into a body. A very muscular body. I jumped back, almost tripping over my own feet, but strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me forward to lean against a bare chest, steadying me as I breathed in the person's scent. Reese. Oh God. I stepped back, freeing myself from his grasp and looked at him, only now just taking in the fact that he was only wearing boxers. Good lord. I flushed and quickly looked away from him, acutely aware of my state of clothing and the fact that the gown clung to my body, showing off my curves. At least I hadn't taken off my bra yet.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, concern flooding his voice. I nodded to the counter and felt him step forward, laying a hand on my shoulder. I looked up into his face and my flush deepened but I held his gaze. "You sure?" I nodded and he stepped back, taking his hand from my shoulder and rubbing his jaw. I sidestepped him and headed over to the fridge, eager to get out of the freaking kitchen. I took out the jar of water and laid it on the counter, glancing over at Reese to see him watching me. I'm sure my blush would have deepened had it been possible but it wasn't. My hands trembled as I turned away from him and suddenly realized that I didn't know where the hell the glasses were.

I started opening cupboards, desperately trying to ignore my silent companion who still hadn't moved an inch from where I'd left him. My hands were still shaking and I fought hard to keep them steady to no avail. Where the hell are the freaking glasses? As I went to open another cupboard, I hand shot out to stop me from opening it. I froze in place, numbly aware of Reese's body just behind me. My heart was practically skipping as I watched Reese's hand travel to the cupboard on our right and opened it. The glasses.

"Thanks," I murmured as he handed me one. I stepped around him without looking at him and went over to the jar, filling the glass up.

"I'm sorry," he said from right beside me. I jumped and almost spilled water over the counter, having not heard him come closer. I put the jar down and turned, lifting my gaze to his, desperately trying to ignore his bare chest and stunning six-pack.

"For what?" I asked, my heart pounding to a rhythm only known to it.

"For my reaction earlier. I'm sorry. I should have been able to control myself but I just…" he trailed off, keeping his gaze locked with mine. I turned around and grabbed my glass of water.

"It's okay. Antonio already explained it," I said and, when I caught his look of confusion, added, "You know, since you're older than me you feel the need to protect younger Pack members. I understand. It's the wolf in you." He nodded now, relief flooding his eyes, but remained silent, still watching me. I fidgeted under his gaze and looked away, trying to think of an excuse to go back to my room where his scent or presence didn't affect me.

"I'm also sorry that you had that type of parents," he said gently as he stepped forward and took my hand. I lifted my eyes to his again as he said, "No parent should ever raise their hand to their child, even if it is just a warning slap."

"Thank you," I whispered, suddenly aware of the wolf in me that was jumping up and down with happiness at Reese's closeness.

"Listen, if you ever want to talk about it or anything, you know where to find me, okay?" he said, lifting his other hand to cup my cheek. I nodded as I felt emotions streaming through me, becoming so overwhelming I have to step away from him.

"Thanks. I…I may just take you up on that," I said, not even sure what I was saying, as I turned around and strode to the door, throwing a good night behind my back.

In the safety of my room, I collapsed onto the bed, completely discarding the glass of water on my bedside table. Great, just great. Why the hell did Reese do this to me? Why did he make me feel like this? I had never felt like this before and it just felt so good but so disconcerting. I barely knew the guy and he was already making my insides tingle. Oh, and then there was the fact that he was my Pack brother. Could it get any worse? Good lord, what the hell is wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with my wolf that goes freaking berserk every time Reese is near? It doesn't matter. What does matter is for me to keep composed and my emotions under control when I see him or am near him. Like tonight, you mean? Good luck with that.

I mentally groaned as I crawled under the covers. This was my home now. Reese was my family, just like Tonio, Nick, Noah and Max, no matter how much the last fought against it. He was treating me like a shit and I swear he would have made me relive my high schools days when he was in the room had it not been for the others. The others cared for me, they worried for me and Antonio loved me. I wasn't going to let Max step all over like I was a piece of shit stuck to his shoe. No way. If I had to, I would go full on dominant on him but I would leave that as I last resort. I'll try and fix the problem first before resorting to the wolf. I smiled to myself as I looked over at the bookcase on the far wall. Such loving and caring people. There was no doubt, not anymore. This is my home and I wasn't looking back.


	14. Ch 14 Brothers and Sister

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Broken Bonds. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim will soon be introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling _and _Disastrous_ and _It Begins.

Ch 14 Brothers and Sister

Kim's POV

I was having breakfast by the time Abbey called. I scrammed from the room, eager to get away from Reese's scent. Hopefully, I'd get used to it soon or this was going to become very awkward very fast. I went upstairs into my room for privacy, well, the best privacy I could have under the circumstances, and answered the phone.

To say that talking to Abbey was painful is an understatement. She was crying when I answered the phone and seconds later tears were pouring down my own face. I missed her, a lot. I could hear her sobs as she told me that she had known that something was very wrong at home but she hadn't known how to breach the subject with me, since I'd been so depressed in the weeks prior to my disappearance. She'd been concerned when I hadn't called her when I'd told her I would and had freaked when she'd called my mother who had told her I hadn't gone home. She had gone to the police and then had confronted my mother for not doing anything. She hadn't believed my mother when she told her that I had called her and said that I wasn't going back. So Abbey had thought that I'd been missing for a month and a half.

As I told her my story she didn't stop crying nor did she get angry. She was happy for me because I sounded happy. I have no idea how she could have known this since I cried for the entire phone call. I then told her everything I had not told her when I had lived in Holland, everything. I felt the need to do so because I was telling her such a big lie now and I would never be able to tell her the truth. It was a poor excuse, I knew I should have shared everything with her from the beginning like she had but she didn't get angry with me for this either. She was happy that she finally understood and that I had gotten away from my family. By the time we hung up, we were both still crying but out of joy now and we both made promises to keep in close contact. It wouldn't be the same but it was the best I could offer. Maybe one day soon we could see each other again.

I sat on my bed for a while, trying to calm myself down but I was just so happy. Abbey had forgiven me even though I had been such a terrible friend. I had lied to her about so many things and yet she forgave me. She was an amazing person and she proved it time and time and again. A true sister and a true friend.

A knock on the door interrupted my uncontainable tears and I quickly wiped them away as I got up to open the door. I had been expecting Tonio or Nick but behind the door stood Noah. He studied me for a moment, taking in my puffy red eyes that contrasted with the smile I had painted on my lips.

"Hey," he said tentatively. "Um, would you…er, like to go grab a coffee with me? Just into town so I can show you around a bit," he finished the last part quickly, as if anxious to get it out. My smile widened as he flushed slightly and I recognized the signs of evident shyness.

"Sure. I'd love to," I said, grinning as he suddenly looked relieved. "Just give me a sec." I ran back into my room, going into the bathroom and washed the tears from my face. I then went back out and followed Noah downstairs. "Don't you have classes today?" I asked as we walked down the downstairs hallway. I knew he worked as a part time security guard at the Sorrentino's company and also took classes at Columbia. Reese, on the other hand, worked at the company as did Nick and Antonio, of course, was the boss.

"Just a couple but in the afternoon. So I have all morning to show you around," he said and I shot a smile his way which he returned, seemingly more relaxed now. We stopped by Antonio's study to tell him that we were going out. Everyone else had already left for work and school while I'd been on the phone. Antonio sat at his desk with Max's dogs, Aiden and Brick, on the small couch. I patted them as Antonio told us to have fun but first gave me a hundred rules to memorize before we could leave. Safety rules. I guess most people hate it when parents do this, give rules for when they go out and such, but I filled with warmth at knowing that he cared so much that he actually wanted us safe.

Silence fell between Noah and me as he drove us to town and I had no idea how to break it. I didn't really know much about him or any of my other Pack brothers. Antonio just called Noah, Max and Reese my brothers instead of Pack brothers but I wasn't there yet. For me to consider them my brothers I would have to love them. I liked Reese and Noah a lot but I needed to get to know them first. Okay, I liked Reese way more than a lot, there was really no point in denying that anymore. Not to myself at least.

I smelt Noah's tension slide off of him in waves, His nervousness probably had more to do with the fact that I was a female werewolf rather than just female but I knew he wouldn't hurt me. He hadn't been able to control his physical reaction at our meeting but he had kept his wolf in check, so I trusted him with that.

In an attempt to break the silence, I asked him about his classes and his plans for the future. As he started talking, he slowly began to relax and I tried to be as talkative as possible, not a usual trait in me. Well, lately I had a lot of traits that hadn't been usual in me before the bite. For now, they were all for the best. By the time we got out of the car, I could no longer smell Noah's tension and he was talking animatedly. I smiled as I realized that he reminded me a lot of me. I had always been nervous around new people and I would normally have never taken the first step in a conversation, Abbey being the exception of course.

Noah spent the entire morning showing me around town and talking. Now that I had started him up there was no stopping him. He told me that he wanted to become a cop and since I knew little about that, other than what I knew from _CSI_ and such, he spent quite some time telling me about it all. I was content to listen to him and asked a lot of questions which seemed to make him happy. We eventually moved from him to me and he asked me about my plans but I didn't have any. My parents had wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer but none of those careers really called to me. When I mentioned my parents, Noah went quite for a moment and I felt his nervousness return.

"Kim, I didn't mean to but last night, I overheard Nick and Antonio talking about you and your…parents," he said softly, not looking at me. I stared at him, unsure of what to say or feel. I guess I felt slightly relieved. Noah had known about my family and my relationship with them and had still asked me out for coffee, well, coffee for him, tea for me.

"It's okay," I said, laying a hand on his arm, trying to convince him it really was okay. I wasn't angry. The fact that he had accepted me despite my family was just so relieving. Noah was a good person. Maybe I didn't need to love him to be able to call him my brother.

"No, it's… I shouldn't have. But I wanted to tell you that if you want to talk about it…," he trailed off, still not looking at me. I smiled despite the guy's obvious tension. He barely knew me and he was offering his shoulder for me to lean on. Tears prickled at my eyes but I held them back. "I've been through something similar…so maybe if you wanted to talk…" he said now, his tone doubtful that I would ever want to talk about this with him.

I pulled him to a stop on the sidewalk and stepped in front of him. I then did the strangest thing. I gave him a hug. He hesitated for a moment but then returned it willingly. His embrace muffled my thank you but I knew he heard it when he nodded against my shoulder. I loved hugs but the fact that I'd hugged him first surprised me. I barely knew him, even if that hadn't stopped me from hugging Antonio when we met. But he was a good person and had said that he'd been in a similar situation to my own. He'd shared that with me and offered his shoulder without asking for anything in return. I pulled away from him and stared into the eyes of my brother. I smiled and then took his hand to continue our walk. He seemed surprised by my action, hell, I was too, but he made no comment about it and grasped my hand firmly as we strode through town.

That afternoon, I began my training with Antonio. He didn't fight me directly, he hadn't throughout my entire training at Stonehaven, and so we just worked out. The following day, however, was another matter. I didn't fight Antonio but Noah.

Everyone in the household was in the training room. Noah and I faced each other in the centre of the room, the mats squeaking under our weight, as the rest watched us from the sidelines. I studied Noah, knowing exactly what I was up against. He had the same advantages as Nick had but Noah wasn't as tall, big or experienced as him. Still, I knew better than to underestimate him. Since Noah was only slightly taller than me, I knew what manoeuvre would be better suited for this. I just had to make sure Noah didn't see it coming.

We stared off and I watched his eyes, his lips, the twitch in his finger, everything, knowing that he would move first. I sure as hell wasn't. Without warning, Noah started circling just like Nick had in our fight but Noah wasn't as patient as Nick. As soon as we finished as full circle, he pounced. I danced out of the way and tried to grab me but I was too fast for him. I spun around him, the blow he sent my way only grazing me but I knew from the force that he was holding back some of his strength. He was going to regret that soon. I kept my eyes on Noah at all times as he tried to land a punch to no avail, completely ignoring our audience. I landed a few blows but only when I had a clear shot, otherwise I focused on avoiding his.

As the fight continued, Noah's blows gained more accuracy and strength and I had a harder time to dodge them, a few even made contact. As I sidestepped another of his punches, I saw him lose his momentum for a split second but that was all I needed. I spun around him and kicked him in the back of the knee, knowing that he wouldn't fall but that wasn't my goal. He quickly jumped up to face me and I took a few steps back, letting my face show a bit of doubt. Noah saw it and ran at me, preparing to tackle me. As his body started to come into contact with mine, my left hand shot out just below his right arm, grabbing his neck from behind, as my right hand grabbed his left arm just behind the elbow, squeezing the muscle there. Noah froze under my hold but I was far from done. I swung my left leg behind his and pivoted, pulling him to me and turning my body to the right, so I landed on top of him as we hit the floor. My hand that was holding his neck quickly grabbed his right wrist and the hand that was on the elbow grabbed the other one. Within seconds I had his hands pinned over his head as I straddled him.

Noah stared up at me, clearly surprised, but then his face broke into a smile which I returned. I got off of him as the applause started and I helped him up. Nick came over to Noah and thumped him on the back.

"Don't let it get to you, Noah. The girl's just too good for us," he said, giving me a wink. I flushed and turned to face Antonio. He came over to me and wrapped an arm around my waist. I tensed but didn't pull away. Antonio noticed and quickly pulled his arm away, but his smile didn't falter.

"That was an excellent butcher," he said and I grinned up at him. The butcher move would never have worked had Noah been much taller than me. I wouldn't have been able to reach his neck. I looked back at Noah to make sure that my beating him hadn't sat badly with him but he was laughing at something Nick had said.

"Are you prepared to get your ass kicked by her, Reese?" Nick asked. Reese just chuckled, shaking his head, and then grinned at me.

"I'll guess we'll find out soon," Reese said and I just blushed. There was no way in hell that I could beat Reese but I would have to give it a shot.

* * *

><p>The day after Noah and I fought, I was walking out of Antonio's study, the wolf in a fury. I tried to calm her down to no avail. She was pissed and I could hear her growling in outrage at Antonio's words. Though she found his words understandable she didn't understand why the guys had to go about it like this.<p>

I shook my head and made my way down the hall, brushing my slightly damp hair with my fingers. I'd had training earlier and I'd fought Nick again. I kicked his ass and took my revenge for the shoes and underwear. When I told Nick this, he just fell to the floor, rolling in laughter. Once I'd beaten him twice and he took me down once, if only because of my own fault, Antonio sent us to the showers and asked me to come see him when I was ready.

I followed the sound of the guys' laughter to the games room where I found Max and Noah playing a game that looked very familiar. Reese was there as well but the game was only two player I think. I stood by the doorway and watched the game again. I recognized the characters from Uncharted but I didn't recognize the arenas and the Uncharted games I'd played hadn't had two player mode. Must be the new one then. I watched as Noah was shot down by the oncoming attackers and Max went over to save him. I cringed as I saw the weapons they were carrying.

Reese spotted me by the door and smiled, beckoning me to him. I willingly obeyed. I sat down next to him on the sofa and watched the boys play. At first I thought they weren't very good because they kept getting killed but after a while I realized what the problem was.

"You have to find a defendable place," I said before I could stop myself. Noah and Max turned their gaze to me, looking confused and then Max looked slightly angry. I felt Reese's gaze on me too but I kept my gaze fixed on Noah. "You guys can't fight off the waves of attackers from where you are. It's too open and the G-MALS you're carrying may be accurate but they're really slow. I'd stick with AK-47s, unless you have M9s then grab those, they're more accurate. Do you mind?" I asked Noah, putting my hand out. He smiled and handed over his controller. Max immediately put his down and crossed his arms, clearly not happy with the situation. I heard Reese growl beside me, but I ignored them all. Men.

Noah took Max's controller and I helped him find the kind of place I had been talking about in the arena we were in. I also changed the weapon to an AK-47. As soon as we found an adequate site, I told him where to stand and then placed myself behind him, facing the other way, so we were covering all the possible entries to the site we'd chosen. We passed the arena on the first try.

"You play video games?" I heard from the doorway and looked over to see Nick grinning. I flushed and nodded.

"Yeah, my, um, stepfather liked to play a lot. We had a lot of games but Uncharted was one of my favourites," I said softly, looking at the floor in front of me. Video games had been a good way for me to distract myself and to let off some of my anger by killing the enemy. Reese chuckled beside me and laid his hand on my thigh.

"Well, then, thank god you came. They've been at it for a while. It was starting to get boring to watch them die and die again," Reese said and I smiled up at him.

"Come on, guys," Nick called as he left the room, "I'm leaving in five minutes." Just then the doorbell rang and Max quickly got up to get the door. Antonio had said that a friend of Max's was coming over, so I'd be with Antonio while the others went out for their Saturday night fuck mission. Noah quickly got up as well and started making his way out of the room. He stopped by the doorway and looked over at Reese who was looking at the television as if it was very interesting at that precise moment. Max had turned it off so…

"Reese? Aren't you coming?" Noah asked from the door. Reese looked over at him but I kept my eyes glued to the floor. My wolf was yelling at me to intervene, to tell Reese to stay, but I shut her up. There was nothing I could do to avoid Reese leaving. Suddenly, I heard Noah's footsteps retreating but Reese hadn't moved from beside me.

"Aren't you going?" I asked softly, trying desperately not to sound hopeful as I looked up at him. He smiled and shook his head, making my insides flip-flop. I had to remind myself that he was my brother.

"I'd much rather spend some time with you," he grinned and I turned away, flushing. He preferred to spend time with me instead of going out for sex? What the hell was wrong with him? I looked back at him, shaking my head.

"No. You should—" I started to say but he laid a finger over my mouth, shutting me up instantly.

"I want to stay here, Kim," he said and then removed his finger from my lips. I sat there shock still as he studied me for a moment. "What were you planning on doing tonight?" It took me a moment to find my voice and even longer to actually speak.

"Um, I was going to, er, watch a movie with Antonio," I said. He nodded, grinning.

"You mind if I join you?" he asked and I just shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. "I'll go tell Tonio then. I'll see you in the theatre room." Again, I just nodded and he took off out of the room. I was slow to follow, my thoughts and feelings swirling inside of me like a tornado.

I have no idea what the hell is wrong with Reese. I mean, what kind of guy would put me before sex? Maybe he just felt like he should be spending more time with me, although we already spent a lot together. I probably should have tried harder to convince him to leave but he had taken me by surprise with his touch, leaving my absolutely speechless. I suddenly felt stupid for my ridiculous feelings towards him, after all, only an idiot would have fallen for a guy she barely knew and I had fallen within the day after meeting him.

Antonio had asked me to go to his study to tell me what the guys' plan for the evening was. They were going to pick up girls. He hadn't said it like that but I'd gotten the gist. Max would be staying home with his friend Addison and Antonio and I would be spending some time together. The wolf hadn't liked knowing that Reese was going to go get laid but the human understood it. Men had needs as did women, but I had yet to find the right guy with whom I was willing to fulfil those needs. The wolf growled something about having already found him but I ignored her.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts and trying to get the wolf under control, who was purring with happiness that Reese was staying, that I didn't notice that someone was already in the theatre room until it was too late. I opened the door to find Max making out with a guy I guessed was his friend, or supposed to be. They didn't notice me and I quickly stepped back to get out of the room but I hit my foot against the door. They both turned at the sound and Max looked at me with an expression filled with alarm and rage.

"S-sorry," I said and spun around, moving fast. As I walked away from the theatre room, I heard Addison ask Max who I was and then asked him where he was going. I quickened my pace when I realized Max was following me. I walked into the living room and turned around to face him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," I said softly but holding his gaze all the same. He glared at me.

"Whatever, just don't tell dad, okay?" he said forcefully. I frowned at him. Didn't Antonio know that his son was gay or that his friend was more than just a friend?

"Um, okay," I said. He didn't really deserve me to cover for him but he was quite anxious right now. He studied me for a moment, surprise lighting his eyes slightly, and then nodded before turning and leaving. I walked over to the sofa and sat down. Why didn't Antonio know that his son was gay? Why was Max hiding it? Was Antonio intolerant or something? That didn't seem likely but then maybe I didn't know Antonio as well as I thought.

"Kim, what are you doing here?" I heard Reese say as he walked into the room. He sat down beside me, taking my hand in his, and I felt his gaze on me.

"Max and his friend are using the theatre room," I said softly. He said nothing. I turned to look at him and found him studying me with a slight frown, his question clearly written on his face. "Doesn't Antonio know that Max is gay?" Surprise crossed his face before a smile broke through and he chuckled, giving my hand a squeeze.

"Of course, he does. But why do you ask?" he asked now, his smile fading. I told him what happened and his smile returned. "Antonio knows that Max is gay but he doesn't let him date which is why he and Addison just say they're friends. Tonio doesn't want Max to be hurt by Addison in case he regresses." I nodded, remembering that Antonio had said that Max's problems had been much worse before. I didn't know what he meant exactly but apparently, it hadn't been good.

"But if Addison hurts Max and he regresses then what—"

"Addison won't hurt Max. They're mates," he said, turning away from me for the first time. I nodded even if he wasn't looking at me and turned to face the television, leaning back against the sofa. Wolves mated for life but Addison wasn't a werewolf, so that didn't mean he couldn't hurt Max, right? Even if Max was treating me like crap that didn't mean I wanted him hurt. Those kinds of things have a bad habit of boomeranging right back. "So what do you want to watch? Antonio said we could start watching the movie without him because he still had a lot of work to do," he said, intruding into my thoughts.

He got up, letting go of my hand, and went over to the DVD shelf. Although most of the movies were in the theatre room, the Sorrentinos still had a few dozen movies here in the living room. "Whatever you want," I said, looking over at him. He gave me a look I couldn't interpret.

"Don't worry about Max, Kim. He'll be alright, I promise," he said but I just nodded. He sighed and went back to browsing through the movies, eventually picking one and putting into the DVD player. Reese sat down beside me as the opening credits appeared and I chuckled. He looked at me with a questioning look, taking my hand again, but I just shook my head.

"You want me to cry?" I chuckled, keeping my gaze locked with his.

"You cry with _Pearl Harbour_?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and amusement in his voice. I nodded and he went to get up but I pulled him back down. Normally, I would have been horrified at having to told someone that I cried with a movie, showing them my weaknesses, but I didn't seem to care right then.

"I don't mind. It's one of my favourites," I said. He grinned at me and, still holding my hand, leaned against me. I froze as his body came into contact with mine. I took a deep breath, letting his scent surround and fill me, and then relaxed. This was one of the times that his scent calmed me and didn't risk giving me heart failure.

We watched the movie in silence, just how I liked it. I hated when people started talking during the movie, commenting on this and that. The first time that I'd watched this movie, I cried for about a quarter of an hour before I finally calmed down. Abbey, who had watched the movie with me, reacted in much the same way. Once we'd calmed down, we laughed at our own silliness and the movie soon become one of our favourites, being one of the many strings that held us together.

As the movie progressed, Reese and I silently changed positions, slowly getting closer and closer together until he was propped up against the armrest and I was practically laying on top of him. I had my head resting against his chest just below his chin, with my back leaning against his muscled chest as his arms encompassed me and laid over my belly, still holding my hands in his. I knew I should have felt uncomfortable. I mean, it's not like I hadn't been this close with a guy before but it was different. Reese was different and the wolf was helping me. She was allowing me to understand Pack bonds better which was why I had taken Noah's hand the other day.

Like I knew I would, I cried at the end of the movie when one of the protagonists died. Even though I had my back to him, he somehow knew I was crying before I did and wiped away my tears with one hand, still holding on to mine with his other. I was suddenly very grateful for the physical closeness that Pack bonds allowed us to have. As the ending credits rolled, I went to untangle myself from Reese before I fell asleep on him, lulled in by his scent and warmth, but he held me tight. He turned the TV off with the remote, leaving the room in darkness. We didn't say a word as we lay there but I eventually fell asleep, his breathing the soundtrack in the background.

* * *

><p>I awoke with strong arms holding me and it took me a moment, and a good whiff, to remember who was holding me. I froze for a moment, unsure if Reese would have been okay with this. I had fallen asleep with him, hell, practically on top of him, something I had never done with any guy before. But I relaxed as I heard his slow breathing. After all, he had been the one to capture me in his arms, not the other way around.<p>

Light streamed through the window and I looked over at the clock to see that it was 9 A.M. A few weeks ago, I would have been appalled for Antonio or anyone else to have seen me so close with someone. Hell, I was still a little anxious when Antonio or Nick hugged me in front of the guys, but I just couldn't bring myself to care right then. I slowly and carefully tried to extract myself from Reese's firm grip without waking him. I was almost free when he jumped up, grabbing my wrist in a death grip until he saw who it was and quickly let go.

"Sorry," he said softly, rubbing his eyes, trying to shake off sleep. I muttered that it was okay and quickly got up, shyness returning now that he was awake that was quickly turning into awkwardness. I walked from the room and went straight to the kitchen, trying to fix the mess of a hair I knew I had. I had barely reached for the cereal when Reese came in. "What's wrong, Kim?" he asked as he strode over to me but kept his distance. "I didn't mean to grab you like that. It's just that the wolf makes us be on constant alert and I wasn't expecting to wake up with…," he trailed off but I just shook my head. I understood the reasons behind his hold. Sometimes when I'd woken up with Antonio beside back at Stonehaven and I'd woken him up, he had reacted in much the same way. I didn't look up at Reese but I knew I should probably explain some of my weirdness so he didn't think badly of me, or too badly. After all, he already knew what kind of parents I had.

"It's not that. I'm just not used to so much physical closeness. I know its okay and all but with my parents… Well, they weren't very keen on the whole hugs and kisses thing," I said, talking to the counter. Reese stepped forward and took my hand in his, the gesture already becoming familiar between us. With his other hand he took my chin and lifted it so I was looking at him.

"Then you better get used to it because I'm not going to let you go back to them," he said. I stared at him as I saw the protectiveness in his eyes and my heart filled with warmth.

"You still have a family?" I heard from the door way and I looked over at Max who had a furious look in his eyes.

"Um, yes," I said reluctantly. The anger in his eyes flared. Reese growled at him but Max didn't even look at him.

"Tell me, how selfish are you that you aren't satisfied with just one family that you need to come here and take mine away from me?" he asked harshly. I stared at him disbelievingly just as anger shot through me. This guy had no idea what he was talking about. He had no idea what my family was like or what it felt like to live with them. To spend every second of your day feeling completely lonely, despite the fact that you were surrounded by people. I wanted to stand up for myself, to say something, but Reese spoke first.

"Don't talk to her like that," he growled and let go of my hand. Max turned his angry glare on him and I saw the wolf peek out.

"She shouldn't be here, Reese. She already has a family. She should be with them where she belongs," Max growled back. I couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand," I said lowly but firmly. He didn't understand, he couldn't. He returned his glare to me and the wolf was clearly visible now. I smelt Reese's anger which only flared the one building in me.

"Oh, I understand perfectly. You're a selfish bitch that—" he was cut off as Reese tackled him, sending them both to the ground. I stood where I was, horrified as I watched the scene before me. I watched as Max and Reese exchange kicks and punches but I just stood there, dumbfounded. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. They were Pack brothers, a bond stronger than any other they had and ever would. They shouldn't be fighting. This was all my fault.

"Reese!" I cried as Reese pinned Max, jabbing his elbow into his throat, "Let him go!" But he didn't listen. I watched as Max jerked in pain but Reese didn't let go. I saw his mouth moving as he talked to Max under him but I wasn't listening. I ran towards them and tackled Reese in the way Clay had taught me to, turning at the exact moment so I could land on top of him. I straddled him, grabbing his wrists and forcing them over his head like I had with Noah the other day.

Reese struggled under me but I held him tight and pressed my knees against his sides. He winced with pain and I saw the wolf bright in his eyes. I held his gaze as he stared up at me and in a blink of an eye he stopped moving. He closed his eyes, taking deep, slow breaths, and when he opened them, the wolf was under control. I relaxed my grip on his wrist and he immediately brought his hand to my face. I froze and my breath caught but his touch was gentle and I caught a tender look in his eyes.

"Thank you," he said softly. I nodded and quickly got off of him. I looked over at Max and found him sitting where Reese had left him, rubbing his hand against his throat, and tears falling down his face.

"Max," I said as I neared him. He glared at me despite his tears and got up shakily.

"Stay away," he whispered in a strained voice. I stared at him. Clay had done the same hold on me during my training but I had never been hurt like that. Suddenly, the door flew open and Antonio came in. He took one look at us, taking in everything, from Max holding his throat to the tears I hadn't noticed that had fallen down my face to Reese's split lip. You didn't need to be Einstein to add two plus two together and know what happened here. The question was why.

"What happened?" he asked softly but I heard the authority behind his tone. He grazed us all with his gaze and I looked away when it fell on me. "Max?" he growled. I looked up to see him move towards Max, who managed a strained whisper of something that sounded like 'can't talk'. Antonio frowned, growling softly, and turned to me and Reese. "Kim?" he said now but in a lighter tone. Tears fell down my face still but I couldn't hold them back.

"It's my fault, Antonio," Reese said suddenly. Antonio's eyes turned to Reese and I mentally winced as I saw the anger in them. "Max was insulting Kim about things that he doesn't understand and I just…" he trailed off as Antonio turned his glare on Max now. He seemed to stop himself from yelling though and brushed a hand through his hair, thinking.

"Princess, go to your room please," he said gently. I shook my head. Antonio sighed and said, "Go to your room, Kim." He said it gently again but the note of authority could not be mistaken. The wolf felt the weight of the older wolf's order and pushed me to obey. I walked past Antonio and Max and out the room without looking back.

As soon as I reached my room, I ran to the bathroom and jumped into the boiling hot shower. I tried to calm myself, only somewhat succeeding. I was just so shocked by what I had just witnessed. I knew Reese was protective of me, well, so was everyone else in this house except for Max, but I would never have thought that he was capable of fighting his brother. I needed to fix this. I could not have brothers brawling over me like this; it was just so selfish on my behalf. I would have to try and find a way to fix things with Max, even if I just managed for him to tolerate me somewhat. If I couldn't though then I would move back to Stonehaven. I would not stay here knowing that I was not wanted and causing altercations between brothers.

I got out of the shower once I'd decided to try to get Max to accept me. It wasn't an easy decision. I had never gone out of my way to try and get along with someone. I hadn't seen the point since everyone had always seemed to have made up their minds about me before getting to know me. I was trying to think of a way to get Max to talk to me after everything that had happened this morning when a knock came at the door.

"Just a sec," I called as I quickly pulled my jeans and top on. I would be going on a run soon with the guys and I knew they would eventually see my body, but that didn't mean I was any less conscious of it. I might like the body I had now, hell, maybe even they would too, but I still felt uncomfortable with it. A lesson engrained into my brain after years of torture I guess. Once I was decent, I called my visitor in. Reese. He looked slightly defeated but I could tell that he was trying to hide it. Antonio must have chewed him out for hurting Max then. I went over to him and took his hand in mine, the first time I made the first move and not him. I probably should have been freaked by his show of violence from before but I was strangely at ease. I suspect the wolf had something to do with this. "You okay?" I asked. He nodded but said nothing. "Come on," I said, dragging him out of my room and, pointing to his split lip, adding, "Let's get that cleaned up."

As I cleaned Reese's lip, he told me that Tonio had taken Max to the doctor. I nodded but didn't comment. I'd ask Antonio about it later. However, there was something I wanted to talk about with Reese but I had no idea how to approach the subject.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly. I shook my head, saying it was okay, but he cut me off with a growl. "No, it's not okay, Kim. I shouldn't have lost my temper. Max is my brother and he doesn't understand, so I should have just tried to explain but…" He sighed as he brushed a hand through his hair in a very Antonio-like gesture. Silence fell between us as I put the first aid kit away. I heard him get up behind me and then felt him take my hand in his. He led me from the downstairs bathroom and took me to the kitchen, where he proceeded to make me breakfast, completely ignoring my complaints about being able to get my own breakfast.

"I wanted to ask you something," I said softly as he sat down beside me with the plates of bacon and eggs in his hands. He nodded, giving me permission to ask away, but I hesitated. Maybe he wouldn't want to talk about it with me. Who was I after all? I had no right to pry into his life.

"Ask me anything you want, Kim," he said when he realized that I wasn't going to speak. I bit my lip, wondering how to say it.

"It's just that, um, Max said that I _still_ had my family," I started, emphasizing the 'still'. Reese nodded but I saw comprehension dawn on him. His eyes grew cold suddenly but he kept his expression neutral.

"My parents are dead and none of us really have parents that are alive anyway," he whispered but I could hear the pain in his voice. As if by instinct, I took his hand in mine and told him to forget it, that he didn't have to tell me. He nodded and gave me a light squeeze before turning his attention to his food. I studied him for a moment more, looking for anger in case I'd ignited it with my question, but I just found sadness.

We ate breakfast in silence and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Noah's parents as well as Reese's. Noah had said that he had suffered something similar to me; maybe I should talk to him about it. By the time Antonio and Max got home, we had almost finished breakfast. Antonio announced that Max's voice box had been re-damaged and I saw Reese cringe. He immediately got up and walked over to Max, asking if they could talk. Max nodded and they left the kitchen. Antonio walked over to me and embraced me.

"I'm sorry about all that, sweetheart," he whispered. I nodded against his chest, not really certain of what I was supposed to say but decided on clearing my doubts.

"Why is Max's voice box _re_-damaged?" I asked as I pulled away from him. Antonio hesitated slightly but then told me the story. Earlier in the year, there was an incident with a few mutts and Max had been strangled, injuring his voice for months. When I asked what had happened exactly, Antonio refused to answer. I accepted this, knowing that if it were important, he'd tell me.

I eventually left the kitchen and went to play the piano. I needed to clear my thoughts. Max had been attacked while under Pack protection and he was injured, which means that even if I have the Pack's protection something could still happen to me. Antonio had said that the attackers had been dealt with and I knew that most mutts knew that attacking the Pack was suicidal but still. Turner had gone against the Pack and had bitten and killed four girls before me. The Pack wasn't almighty, I could still get hurt or attacked or kidnapped. I wonder if Turner knew I was alive. If he did, would he be suicidal enough to try and get me? He had been in love with the girl he had bitten and killed which then set him off to bite five more girls, including me, that looked like her. His love for the girl probably drove him to insanity when she died, meaning he probably was capable of coming here now. The thought didn't scare me, I felt too protected at the moment to be afraid, but I knew it was still a possibility.

Antonio's POV

I listened to Kim's piano and it instantly soothed me. I knew she was probably playing away her stress from the day's events but her music was so gentle, so calming, that you would never have known that she had witnessed two werewolves wrestling in the middle if the kitchen. Or that she'd just found out that the Pack wasn't as safe as we had let her believe. She needed to know this though; we could not let her fall into a false sense of security.

I had anticipated a fight between Reese and Max but I never thought that Reese would be the one to initiate it. When I'd spoken to him alone, he'd admitted what I already suspected. His protectiveness of Kim overrode everything else, making him lose control of his wolf. Still, I gave him hell for hurting Max, who will now be almost voiceless for about a month before he gets better. I had taken him to a trusted doctor that we pay well enough that he doesn't ask any questions. I chewed him out for what happened as well, though Reese held most of the responsibility for being the oldest and for starting it. Max had not only insulted her but had touched a delicate subject. Reese had of course exploded.

I told Max that Kim's situation at home had not been good, that she had been unhappy. He didn't relent on his arguments of her going back to her family until I told him that they hit her. Only then did he seem to understand that maybe she was better off here. I didn't care if it had only been when she disrespected them or broke their rules. I didn't care if in a grand total they only hit her three times, though I knew it was more than that. For me, one smack was abuse. End of story.

I sighed as I brought my hands up to my head; the sound of Kim's playing still filling the air. Last night she had slept with Reese on the couch. It shouldn't have surprised me really. They were really close despite the fact that they had known each other for just less than a week. And yet, even after last night, Kim didn't seem to realize what had happened or what was happening between them. Hell, Reese has apparently given up sex for her. He was already her mate even though she hadn't realized it or recognized it yet. He was hers.

When I'd asked Noah if he wanted to show Kim around town, the first thing he did was look at Reese, seeking his permission first. Kim wasn't technically his; this was just the wolf in us. Noah had really taken to Kim. When they got back from town, they had been laughing and talking animatedly together. Hard to believe when she spent most of her first day in the house crying her heart out, but her tears had filled me with joy. They had been tears of happiness, after all.

I hated to finally know some of the reasons behind her actions, though I'd already suspected them. Her parents, well, her mother and stepfather. They had hit her but not much she had said. I didn't care. Just knowing that they hurt her sent waves of fury through me. Reese had been unable to control his anger, which was why he'd left the music room when he found out someone had hit his mate.

I smiled as the sounds of the piano disappeared and the ones of a Spanish guitar started up. She wasn't as practiced with the guitar as she was with the piano but she was still very good. She'd mentioned that she knew how to play a bit of guitar during our stay at Stonehaven and I hadn't doubted in getting it when we set up her music room. I didn't regret it either when I saw her face of happiness when she saw the room. I filled with warmth at knowing that I had caused that happiness.

There was only one thing, or person to be exact, that could dampen her happiness. Max. How I was going to fix this or get him to accept her as Pack, I had no idea. For now though, I would be patient and see if they could work it out themselves. After all, Max was now speechless so I hoped that meant less trouble on his behalf. But should he continue to try to make her life difficult, I would have no choice but to send him to Stonehaven until he wised up. I was afraid that this might cause him to regress, but I would do it if it ever came to that. Kim still had a lot to learn and to accept before she could ever be truly happy and Max was not going to make that easy for her. I can only hope that they worked it out before I was forced to separate them.


	15. Ch 15 Not What It Seems

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim will soon be introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling _and _Disastrous_ and _It Begins.

**Stand In The Rain – Superchick**

She never slows down.  
>She doesn't know why but she knows that when she's all alone, feels like its all coming down<br>She won't turn around  
>The shadows are long and she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down<p>

So stand in the rain  
>Stand your ground<br>Stand up when it's all crashing down  
>You stand through the pain<br>You won't drown  
>And one day, what's lost can be found<br>You stand in the rain

She won't make a sound  
>Alone in this fight with herself and the fears whispering if she stands she'll fall down<br>She wants to be found  
>The only way out is through everything she's running from wants to give up and lie down.<p>

So stand in the rain…

Ch 15 Not What It Seems

"Come in," I called as I sat on my bed, typing an email to Abbey. She'd written an extraordinarily long email to me, detailing the events of her life for the past month and a half. Since she had a much more active social life than the one I had had when I'd lived in Holland she had a lot to tell. The door to my room opened and I looked up to see Reese come in.

"Antonio said that he's ready when you are," he said softly. I nodded to him and then went back to typing. I heard him sigh and approach me. The bed groaned slightly under Reese's weight as he sat down, but I continued to type. "Kim," he said tentatively as he grabbed my hands with both of his, stopping my typing. I could tell he was being cautious; after all, I hadn't spoken to him since our run yesterday. "Talk to me, please," he begged and right then I felt like jumping on him and giving him a hug, but no. I was upset with him and he knew that. The reason was obvious, but he didn't seem to see it.

Yesterday Antonio had been forced to divide our run into two groups because of the fact that the Reese and Max were on edge and it was all my fault. Max and Reese had spoken after the fight and seemed to have fixed things, so yesterday I had wanted to spend some time with Max but Reese had tagged along. Max couldn't speak, but he had still been a bit rude with me and Reese had not liked that. In his anger, he accidentally destroyed part of one of Max's puzzle masterpieces. Max was furious and he'd thrown the rest into the wall and then tried to scream, further damaging his voice box. I ended up going on a run with Antonio and Reese while the others went on the run later. Thankfully, I didn't need to go through the uncomfortable naked bodies part since we Changed back right after the run.

I untangled my hands from Reese's and took the laptop off of me. I shifted to face him and I saw that his eyes shone with worry. I mentally cringed and the wolf growled, but I kept my face neutral. "You shouldn't have done it," I said.

"It was an accident, but he was being disrespectful," he said, "and I'm not the one that threw the puzzle into the wall." I sighed and he took my hands in his again.

"I know," I said as I gave his hands a light squeeze, "but you angered him when you got pissed. You don't need to get angry with him, Reese. Give him time. He did enough yesterday by just letting me into his territory." Reese gave me a look, but studied me for a moment before speaking.

"Are you angry with me?" he asked and the way he said it you'd think that it was the worst thing imaginable.

"No," I said as I shook my head, "but I'd rather you didn't interfere anymore unless Max goes overboard. I want to handle this on my own and I want Max to actually like me, not just tolerate me. I'm not going to manage that if you keep defending me. I feel like I'm hiding behind you." And I really, really didn't want that. Max was very in touch with his wolf, his problems enhancing his wolf in him, and if he thought that I was hiding behind someone then I would never earn his respect. I didn't need to explain this to Reese, though. He understood, now. Besides, Max had written a very heart felt apology shortly after the fight the other day, so I knew he had felt bad about it, at least somewhat.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't thought of it like that," he said softly. I looked into his eyes and saw warring emotions until he dropped his gaze submissively and I tensed. _He_ was being submissive to _me_? I knew he respected me, but for his wolf to be submissive to mine? I didn't even know what that meant exactly, only that he respected me a lot more than I had originally thought and accepted me.

"And please just try to keep your wolf under control," I whispered, his submission still eating at me. He looked up to meet my gaze now and I saw tenderness in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. "I know you feel protective but I need to know I can stand up for myself. Please. I don't want you to get into trouble because of me." He looked like wanted to argue but seemed to think better of it and just nodded.

"I'll try, but I don't promise anything, Kim. I don't want, and won't let, Max hurt you," he said gently. I flushed and my heart started tripping over itself at his words. _Pack brother, Kim, remember he's your Pack brother. He feels the need to protect you._ This had become like a mantra lately. His physical closeness still made me a little anxious, despite my sleeping on the couch with him, but I was slowly getting used to it and the way it made me feel.

"You don't think I could handle Max?" I asked, trying to veer away from his protective words.

"Maybe," he grinned mischievously, making my insides flutter, "You still have to prove yourself against me, though." I raised my eyebrow in mock challenge, but he just laughed. I tensed slightly as I realized what I had just done, my own actions completely alien to me. Without warning, Reese grabbed me around the waist and pushed me back against the bed as he straddled me. I hesitated at the position I found myself in, but he just smiled down at me as his hands found my sides and he started to tickle me.

I struggled under him, trying to push him off to no avail. He laughed as he continued his onslaught, taking my hands in one of his and pinning them over my head, leaving his face just inches from mine. "And here I was thinking you were going to kick my ass," he grinned. I growled up at him but he just chuckled. I would have tensed up at the sound of my growl, but I couldn't as Reese tickled my sides mercilessly. Suddenly, the sound of a throat clearing came from the doorway and Reese and I both looked over to see Nick leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking thoroughly amused.

"Antonio's waiting for you, Kim," he said, not even bothering to hide his smile as he studied our position. I flushed and pushed Reese off of me now that he'd let go of my hands. I jumped off the bed and went over to the loveseat, grabbing my shoes and coat, just as Nick said, "You know, I read somewhere that South Australians and Victorians don't get along very well." Reese rolled his eyes at him, but I just smiled.

"It's true, but I'm making an exception," I said, more boldly than I had ever felt, as I walked over to Nick. Oh God. Not only were my actions alien to me but my mouth as well. I glanced at Reese to see him frowning at me.

"What do you have against Vics?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, as I reached Nick and turned to face him.

"I'm a bit resentful," I said matter-of-factly, giving in to my loose actions and mouth. Reese just stared at me, obviously not catching on. I chuckled and said, "Formula 1 Grand Prix? The Australian Open? Sound familiar?" Reese burst out laughing as he understood. I looked at Nick to see him watching us with a smile playing at his lips.

"But what does it matter to you? Don't tell me you're into F1 and tennis," Reese said, barely containing his laughter. I smiled and his laughing intensified.

"I don't get it," Nick said. I smiled up at him as Reese continued to have a fit on my bed. Nick slid an arm around my waist and Reese immediately shut up.

"Both sporting events used to be in Adelaide. Now they're both in Melbourne. The last year that the grand prix was celebrated in Adelaide, people wore t-shirts that said 'fuck you, Melbourne'," I told Nick and he chuckled as he led me from my room. I heard Reese growl something behind us, just before appearing by my side and taking my hand. I felt a little boxed in, but neither man let up. We walked into the foyer like that where Antonio was waiting for me and, upon seeing us, he rolled his eyes.

"Boys, I'm sure Kim isn't going to disappear if you let her go," he said in mock exasperation. Nick let go of me without any further encouragement, but Reese needed a look from Antonio before letting go of my hand. I walked over to Antonio who immediately wrapped an arm around me. Nick rolled his eyes at his father and Reese just scowled. Antonio chuckled and then guided me to the garage door. I mentally rolled my eyes as well at such behaviour. Men. No, worse. Werewolf men.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I asked Tonio as I buckled myself in. All I got for an answer was a chuckle. Yesterday, after Max destroyed one of his puzzles, Antonio had told me that we would be going out today. He didn't tell me where or why, though. Since he wasn't letting up on our destination, the car trip was mostly silent, only filled by the latest hits playing on the radio.

As I stared out my window, watching as wilderness eventually turned into civilization, I couldn't help but marvel at my behaviour earlier. I had frozen up at my actions, but I had been unable to control them. They just seemed so natural. I was actually letting myself go, letting myself be me. The broken me was still hidden but still, two months ago I would never had joked around the way I had that morning. Hell, I would have freaked to have had Reese on my bed. I had known that I was healing somewhat, but I still wondered at it. All of this had happened because of a werewolf bite. What would have happened if Turner hadn't bitten me that night? I'd probably be in a deep depression right about now, my life's dream slipping out of my fingers, my mother giving me hell, my stepfather coming home and giving me more hell.

I clenched my fist and forced myself out of those thoughts. I was here now, for better or for worse, although I think I could say for better. These people cared for me. Antonio loved me. This is the wolf's family. The fear of being hurt was still there and I'm not sure if it would ever disappear, but I was working on it. My windows were broken, but the building hadn't collapsed, probably thanks to the love and care I've received from the moment I arrived to Stonehaven that had healed some of the cracks. My fears and doubts were far from gone, but they were slowly receding, letting me be me for the first time in years. It had been so long since I'd been me without even realizing it. With Abbey I'd been me, but I had still hidden many things from her. It felt awkward at times, like I couldn't remember how to be me, but I was trying. Besides, the wolf was much bolder than me and was helping me embrace the physical closeness that came with Pack bonds.

I snapped out of my thoughts as Antonio hit the brakes and it took me a moment to realize where we were. In a city, but not just any city, _the_ City. I gasped as I realized this and turned to Antonio just in time to see him chuckle.

"Nick wanted to bring you to New York first, but I convinced him that he could give you the grand tour another day. Today, it's strictly business," he grinned and I smiled at him. I stared dumbfounded out the window at the passing buildings. I had no idea exactly where we were, but I had seen enough photos of the city to recognize its architecture.

Eventually, Antonio pulled over and parked. I got out of the car and without a word he led me down the unfamiliar street. I stared at the buildings, at the people, at the cars. I didn't care that it wasn't a touristic part of the city; I just loved the feel of it, even if it did reek of so many smells, I couldn't identify half of them. I was so entranced by everything that Antonio had to pull me to a stop on the sidewalk to get my attention. He spun me around so I could see the building in front of us. It looked like a school and a large fancy sign above the entrance announced it was the Hirsch Academy.

"Antonio, what's…?" I started to ask and tuned to face him, but was cut off by his dazzling smile.

"It's the Hirsch Academy for music," he said softly. I gaped at him, not understanding. He chuckled and said, "You can't apply to university this year so I thought you might enjoy focusing on your music for the time being." I stared at him and predictably my eyes started to water. Again, predictably, Antonio moved forward and hugged me.

"Thank you," I said as I pulled away, wiping away my tears as I turned to face the building again.

"I don't want your thanks, princess," he said and I nodded, but didn't look at him. I still couldn't believe he would do this for me. He just wanted my happiness he'd said. Not only had he given me a place to live, given me a family, a place to call my own, but now he was giving me the thing I loved the most. My music. "Do you want to go meet your teachers?" he asked from beside me. I turned, grinning at him, and nodded. He took my hand in his and led me through the front doors.

* * *

><p>"Did you like it?" Antonio asked as we got back into his black Mercedes an hour and a half later.<p>

"I loved it," I said honestly. The place was just amazing. Even the teachers had seemed kind and I was already looking forward to my first lessons tomorrow. I would be having singing, dancing, piano and guitar lessons.

On the drive home, we talked about music. We had done little of that during our time at Stonehaven, since out conversations had been more focused on him and his sons than on me.

"So would you like to continue studying music next year? With your talent I'm sure you could get into Julliard," he said when we were almost home. I shook my head.

"No. I'm not sure what I want to do, but I'm not good enough to get into Julliard," I said softy, looking out the window. Antonio made a noise, but said nothing. I was only an okay musician. To get into Julliard you had to be amazing.

"You're the most talented person I know, princess," Antonio whispered as we entered the garage. I said nothing as he parked, but he made no move to get out once he had. I felt his hand go around mine and I turned to face him. "You sing and play with your heart, sweetheart, and that gives your music the extra ingredient that makes it extraordinary." I stared at him, studying his eyes, looking for a telltale sign that he was lying, that he was just saying that to make me feel good, but I didn't find it. He really did think I was good.

"Thank you," I whispered. He nodded with a small smile on his lips and got out of the car. I followed suit, but he was by my side within seconds and before I knew it, he was behind me, covering my eyes and leading me God knows where. "Tonio…," I said, making sure he hadn't lost his mind. He didn't say anything as he led me through the garage and then abruptly pulled me to a stop. He removed his hands and I gaped at the masterpiece before me. "What…?"

"I'm sure you don't want to depend on me or the boys to drive you to the academy," Antonio said beside me. I grabbed his arm for support as I stared at the shinning, ridiculously expensive silver car before me. My walls gave way then and tears sprang forward before I could stop them. You'd think I was used to this by now, but I wasn't. So much money spent on me without a care in the world just because he wanted to make me happy. I turned and looked at the man that I had started to consider like my father figure back at Stonehaven, but now…now I just wished that he really was my father.

Antonio wrapped his arms around me and silenced my sobs, rubbing circles into my back and making shushing noises. In between the noises I heard the words 'happy', 'love you' and 'dinner'. The wolf understood the last one well so we soon left the garage and went to the dining room where the boys where waiting for us.

Once I'd had my fair share of food, I went to my music room and played for the rest of the evening. I was nervous about the following day and the best way to calm down was through my music. My mind wandered as I played and I couldn't help but think about what Antonio had said. I had never really thought about studying music. You had to be very, very good to be able to make a living out of it. I wasn't, there wasn't a chance in hell that I could live off of music. I loved music. It made me feel free. I expressed myself through the music I played, but that was it. It was my hobby, my getaway, my safe haven, nothing more.

* * *

><p>I stared at the door as I tried to remember what had woken me, when I heard gasping and moaning from down the hall. I quickly got out of bed and stepped out into the hallway, stopping just outside my door, listening. The moaning was coming from Max's room. I moved towards his room and opened the door softly. Max was laying on his bed tangled in his sheets and covered in sweat. He was obviously having a nightmare.<p>

"Dad," he moaned, kicking and tumbling on the bed. The first thing I noticed as I stared at his petite body was a tattoo on his torso, a paw mark with the letters A.P. in its centre. It had been crudely done, but I was still able to recognize it for what it was. A.P.? What the hell does that stand for? Is it a Max thing or a Pack thing? Then again, I haven't seen the mark on anyone else in the Pack. As I studied him for a moment longer, I gasped softly as I realized what I was seeing.

Max's body was covered in scars, just like Clayton's had been. But why would someone Max's age have so many scars? Was he abused? No, Antonio would never do that. I had only known him for a little less than two months but I knew in my heart that he would never hurt any of his children. An accident, perhaps? It didn't seem like it. I shook my head and moved towards the bed. It didn't matter, if no one had told me anything, it was because I didn't need to know. I leaned over the bed, planning on waking him as gently as possible, since I knew no one deserved to live through the pains of their subconscious, no matter how much I disliked him, when I felt hands go around my waist, pulling me back.

"No, sweetheart," I heard Antonio say behind me. I looked up at him as he let go of me and gave my shoulder a soft squeeze, smiling slightly as he looked down at me, but his attention quickly fell towards his son. I could see the worry in his eyes and the wolf's protectiveness. I stepped back as he began to rouse his son, my eyes falling on the window behind the bed. They were painted shut and I could see several nails sticking out. What the hell? Noah suddenly appeared beside me and, taking my hand, led me from the room, closing the door behind him.

"Why are his windows painted shut?" I immediately asked. I knew I could ask questions, Antonio had made that very clear, but I'm not sure I wanted to know the answer to this one.

"Max just has…problems," he said, not looking at me. Yeah, Antonio had already said that as well. But what kind of problems required you to have your windows painted and nailed shut? Maybe he has a head injury or something from the same accident that gave him his scars. I knew he was autistic, but did that require you to have your windows sealed shut? And how did that explain why his body looked like a war map?

"What about his scars?" I asked now. Noah stopped just outside my door and seemed to be thinking his answer. Antonio hadn't put those scars on him, I was sure of it. Maybe someone else in the house?

"No one in the Pack gave him those scars," he said as if reading my thoughts. I waited for him to continue, but he didn't. He stood there for a moment before saying goodnight, letting go of my hand and heading back to his room. I walked back into my room and lay down on my bed.

What if he'd given himself those scars? Was he suicidal? Was that why the window was nailed and painted shut? From his behaviour I wouldn't have said he was, but then again, I knew very little on such things. I had never punished myself that way, but I had come close, very close, on one very dark day. But what reasons did Max have to self harm himself? It was obvious he had an amazing family and they were happy if nothing else. But the scars had looked old. Well, most of them had. How long has he been self hurting? Is he still doing it or has Antonio put a stop to it? Maybe the kid was bipolar or something.

I heard a knock on my door then. "Come in," I said and turned my head to see Antonio come in. He slid me a smile as he made his way towards me, but I could still see worry in his eyes.

"Are you alright, princess?" he asked softly as he sat down beside me. I nodded, sitting up, and he put an arm around my shoulders, comforting me.

"What's wrong with Max?" I asked softly, knowing that maybe I shouldn't ask, that maybe it was a delicate subject, but I needed to know. If the kid was unstable, I needed to know so I could keep my distance, despite my wanting to get along with him. "Why does he have so many scars?" I heard Antonio sigh softly before pulling away from me and looking me in the eyes as he answered me.

"He has had a difficult past, sweetheart, but you don't need to worry about him," he said, not answering either of my questions, but I wasn't going to push it. If I needed to know, he would tell me. Still, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened in his past that Antonio had not avoided. Maybe he wasn't a Sorrentino from birth after all. The doubt had entered my mind when I'd first caught his scent, since it didn't resemble either Antonio's or Nick's. I had thought that maybe Max and Nick didn't share the same mother and I still did. Perhaps the mother had taken him and hidden him from Antonio and the Pack. Had the mother given him those scars? My mother hadn't been perfect, far from it, but she had never hurt me like that. Or maybe she's the reason he self harms. God, I hope not. I knew I was speculating, but I also knew that whatever had happened to Max had not been good.

"Is he dangerous?" I asked and saw him frown slightly. I mentally kicked myself. What the hell, Kim? Are you trying to get yourself kicked out or something? But Antonio had said that he loved and trusted me, so I needed to trust him.

"No, princess, he isn't. He just has problems," he answered softly and I nodded, looking away. It seemed like I wasn't going to get a better answer than that. I asked him if Max was alright and I looked up at him again to see the wolf's protectiveness in his eyes once more before saying that he was. The he gave me a kiss goodnight on the forehead before leaving and I heard him go back to Max's room. I knew he would be sleeping with him tonight, just like he had slept with me at Stonehaven, comforting me in the weeks that followed after I was bitten.

That night I had a nightmare of my own. I dreamt with Max's scarred body, watching him as he cut himself, over and over, torturing himself, but I couldn't move. My body would not obey me and I was forced to watch the horrific scene before me. I could feel the tears streaming down my face as I asked why he was doing it and he said it was because he deserved it. The dream persisted as I watched him continue to mutilate his body, each cut going deeper and deeper and in more and more places. Finally, he stopped, his body covered in blood, and walked over to the window I had failed to notice just behind him. I instantly knew what he was going to do. I screamed for him to stop, to think, my voice cracking, but he wouldn't listen. He didn't even turn. I cried as he climbed onto the window sill and sat on it. I knew it was a long way down and he would not survive it. I screamed and fought against the invisible restraints that held my body in place, but it was too late. He jumped.

"Kim!" I heard above me, but I barely heard it above my scream. "Sweetheart, wake up!" I heard the voice say desperately, but I pushed it away. Suddenly, I felt cold hands grab my wrists, holding them above my head. I opened my eyes then to find myself staring into beautiful brown eyes that I knew very well. My breath was coming fast and hard as Antonio lay over me and he quickly released my hands once he saw that I was awake. He got off of me and sat beside me, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me too him. I was still too confused, the dream still lingering behind my eyes, but Antonio's protective arms and warmth helped me calm down. Slowly, my breathing evened out, but Antonio didn't let me go. "Better, princess?" I nodded into his chest. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm fine. You should go back with Max," I said, shivering as I remembered his mutilated body. I may not like him very much but that… No one deserved that.

"It's okay, sweetheart. He's sleeping now," he whispered into my ear, but I shook my head and pulled away from him. He needed to be with his son right now, not with me.

"It's okay, dad, I'll stay with her," we heard from the door and I turned to see Nick there. "If she wants me to, that is," he added with a smile that I returned. Tonio looked doubtful for a moment, but I got off of his lap and shooed him from my bed, making him chuckle slightly, before he left, telling us to call him if we needed him. Nick shook his head as his father left and then looked at me again, suddenly looking uncertain. "You sure you want me to stay?"

"Please," I begged. I had never slept with Nick before, only in wolf form, but I didn't care. I didn't want to be alone tonight and I knew I could trust Nick. He nodded, still looking a little uncertain, and came towards the bed and lay down beside me. He put his arms around me just like his father did and I moved into him, feeling protected. He seemed surprised, but I didn't care. The last remnants of the nightmare disappeared as Nick held me and I was soon asleep in a more pleasant dream.

* * *

><p>I was beyond exhausted the next morning, so Antonio decided to drive me to the academy. He was probably afraid I'd fall asleep on the drive. Admittedly, it was very likely. Reese didn't seem happy with the events of the night, but before I could talk to him about it, Antonio whisked me out of the house.<p>

The academy Antonio had put me in was an elite school of music. My singing teacher, Michelle, even explained to me that most of the people enrolled there were preparing for the auditions to get into Julliard which were in a few months time. Despite my tiredness, I managed to pull off an acceptable performance in class. Michelle thought otherwise, though, and praised me for my voice and my piano teacher, Mr Cox, applauded my talents. It felt so awkward to be praised by strangers, but it was somehow easier to believe them that I may be better at music than I had originally thought. Only a bit though. Both were private lessons so I was unable to compare myself to the other students. This was probably a good thing, though.

Once my lessons were over, Nick came to pick me up and we went out to lunch together. He then took me to the Sorrentino family company. It was obviously a flourishing business. Nick gave me a short tour and then led me up to the executive levels where we met up with Antonio. I sat with them for a while, just talking. Being the boss has its advantages. You can slack off and not get reprimanded for it. Some time later, Reese appeared and Antonio entrusted him the difficult task of taking me home. I rolled my eyes and followed Reese out. I was so bringing my own car tomorrow. I smiled as I remembered that I did indeed have my own car.

On the drive home, Reese asked me if I was okay with the previous night's events. I was. I asked him about the scars, hoping for a better explanation, but he just gave me Noah's answer, that no one in the house or in the Pack gave them to him. When he saw that I was unsatisfied with his answer, he added that it was an accident he was involved in when he was a child. I'm not sure I believed him. I mean, if it were true, wouldn't Antonio have told me this in the first place instead of just saying he has problems and a rough past? I guess if I wanted answers, I'd have to talk to Antonio, but would he be honest with me?

Noah was in the living room when we got home, watching _CSI: New York_. Reese and I joined him, sitting on the sofa where we'd slept on the other night and he immediately took my hand in his. Some time throughout the show, the doorbell rang and I knew it was Max's boyfriend, I mean friend. I mentally cringed as I realized that I was lying to Antonio and I didn't like it one bit. I mean, everyone deserves to go out with whomever they want, but if Max's problems are so serious that his windows are painted shut, then maybe he isn't ready for a relationship. Reese said it was okay and I trusted him, but despite my dislike for him, I didn't want Max to get hurt. I suspect it was because of the fact that he was younger than me and the wolf felt the need to protect him. Why didn't the others feel this, though? Maybe they really did believe that everything was okay if they were all lying to Tonio.

I excused myself from the guys, feigning a bathroom trip, and went to the kitchen where I could hear Addison and Max's murmurs. Even if Max hated me, I wanted to talk to him about this. It was his life, not mine, so I wouldn't interfere, but my conscious needed to be clear first. Reese had told me that Max and Addison were only allowed to spend time here and at Addison's home, in case something happened. I'd definitely have to talk with Tonio again. I wanted to trust him and I couldn't do that if I thought he was lying to me. In any case, I made sure that Max and Addison were talking as I walked towards their voices. I didn't want to interrupt them again. As I neared the kitchen, the murmurs turned into intelligible speech.

"Can we get back to supper, which means you stop bitching about your sister?" I heard Addison say as I opened the door. They were both standing closely together, but I saw Max scowl at Addison's words.

"She's not my sister, she's temporary, okay?" Max growled. His voice still cracked slightly, but he was healing faster than the doctor and Antonio had anticipated. His words hit me hard, though, harder than they should have, and I immediately spun around, my foot catching on the half open door, and left the kitchen. I heard him swear and say something to Addison, but I didn't care what it was. I just wanted to get away from them. As I made my way quickly down the hall, I heard Max call me from behind, but I ignored him.

By the time I reached the music room, I could feel the tears threatening to come forth, but I held them back. I ran in and shut the door behind me. I was almost at the piano when the door opened behind me and I turned to find Max in the doorway. In my room, in my territory, and he hadn't asked for entrance. I suddenly knew what it was like for him when I was on his territory. The wolf sprung forward at Max's intrusion, but I held her back. I didn't want Max to see my hurt.

"What?" I said as calmly as I could, hiding the hurt and anger that ran threw me. God, just leave, let me be so I can cry my heart out. Please, just go. But I don't say that. If I did, he would see it as a weakness. I would not be weak, not in front of him.

"You weren't meant to hear that, just don't tell dad, okay?" he asked and I could hear a bit of alarm in his voice, like when he'd asked me not to tell Antonio about him and Addison. I considered him for a moment. Was he for real? He hurt me and now expects me not to say anything. Déjà vu swung at me and it left me feeling sick. I nodded to Max and turned away from him. The tears were already forming in my eyes.

The door closed behind me and I collapsed onto the piano bench, the tears falling now. Max was such a bully and I doubted he that he realized how much that hurt. Maybe he didn't even realize he was being a bully, but just like every bully, he picked on me and then expected me to keep quiet so he could get away with it. He hadn't meant for me to hear that, but his attitude towards me was still one of a bully. Although he seemed arrogant, I knew better. He lacked confidence and he felt like I was threatening his position in the Pack and in his family. I knew this now. The wolf and my personal experience helped me understand his motivation, but that didn't excuse him.

I growled softly in frustration, knowing that I should talk to Antonio about it, but I had given Max my word that I wouldn't. My word meant a lot to me and that just made lying to Antonio all the more difficult. I couldn't talk to Reese about it since he seemed to be having trouble controlling his protective wolf. Maybe Noah then? I'd have to wait till later, though. He was still in the living room with Reese and I didn't want to have to lie to Reese about why I wanted to talk to Noah and not him.

I laid my hands on the keys and started playing my hurt and anger away. It instantly soothed me. The music that formed from my hands absorbed all my emotions and I knew that anyone well practiced in piano and/or music would be able to know what I was feeling in that moment if they listened close enough.

I don't know how long I was sitting there, playing with my heart in my hands, when I heard a knock on the door. I called a greeting, the action coming subconsciously as I continued to play. I heard the door open and close. I looked up to see Addison standing just inside the room and I immediately stopped playing. What did he want? If he was Max's boyfriend, I'm sure they shared a lot of traits. I knew this guy knew what we were, since he was a supernatural too, a sorcerer. Still, that didn't mean I had to accept him. _He isn't of our kin_ I felt the wolf say,_ he isn't to be trusted_. He was more human than anyone else in this house and it was humans that had hurt me the most, so this made sense.

"Hi, I just wanted to come in and introduce myself. I'm Addison St. George, Max's boyfriend. Well, technically, Max's best friend because your dad won't let us go out," he grinned. I stared at him, taking him in, wondering if he was for real. He looked like he was being truthful, but then again, the kids at school had too in the beginning.

"Hi," I said, deciding to ignore the fact that he'd called Antonio my dad. If that's what they'd told him, then I wasn't going to straighten him out. I smiled slightly, still trying to figure out if his niceness was for real or he was just playing me. Addison returned the smile and went over to sit on the desk.

"So, I wanted to first of all apologize for Max. I'm not sure why he's being so mean to you, but he is usually not like that. Most of the time, he's a nice guy and when he's not, I put him in his place. I'm trying to put him in his place now, but he's being really stubborn. Anyway, I'm going to keep trying, alright?" he asked and I had to work hard to keep the surprise off of my face. I nodded and looked away, thinking. I wasn't sure if I believed him. Why was he trying to help me? What was in it for him? Max hurts me and then decides to send Addison to fix things? I doubted it.

"Look, don't let Max hurt you, okay? He's just one guy and he's being a dick. I love him and all, but if he wants to be an asshole, then you should give as good you get. Don't let him push you around," he said now. I looked up at him and couldn't keep the surprise off my face this time. Give back what I got? Not likely. I may as well declare a war against Max if I did that. Still, why the hell was he telling me all this? He smiled at me then as if trying to make me feel better, but it just confused me.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked uncertainly. He laughed and his smile broadened, reaching his beautiful green eyes. The way he did this made me think that he was taking the Mickey out of me, but his next words erased the thought.

"Because you look like you need help and I feel bad for the way he is acting. I feel like it is my responsibility as his mate," he explained. I stared at him wide-eyed at his choice of word. He thought they were mates too? Max I understood, he was a wolf after all, but Addison? "Don't tell your dad that, okay? He doesn't even like us being friends, but yeah, Max and I are for life," he informed, hearing his love for Max in his words, and I nodded. Okay, so he seemed sincere, but I wasn't ready to trust him entirely. Far from it, but maybe I could give him a chance. After all, if he hurt me, I knew I wouldn't stand back and let him do it without repercussions. I was changed. I wouldn't let him walk all over me without giving something back. Max was a different matter, though. We were Pack and we lived together. I needed to get along well with him. Maybe if I got along well with his mate, he would be more accepting of me.

"So Nick took you shopping I see?" he said suddenly, changing the subject. He raised an eyebrow in an 'oh God' expression and I couldn't help but smile slightly. Okay, he didn't seem so bad, but I wasn't letting my guard down. I would not let him hurt me.

"Yeah, well, he brought me clothes. I didn't go with him," I said, remembering the hundreds of outfits that Nick had gotten me. I watched him as he eyed my outfit and seemed to give it a pass.

"What he picked out for you is nice, but some time I'll take you gay shopping. Nick has a good eye for fashion, but he lacks on key quality," he said. I lifted my eyebrow, letting my curiosity show. He really did seem like a nice guy. "He isn't gay," he said. I grinned and let out my laughter as did Addison. Right, Nick gay. World peace was more likely. Addison, however, was a stereotypical gay. Even if I hadn't seen him making out with Max, it would have been obvious. He spoke and dressed like most people expected gays to.

"Sure, that would be great," I smiled. I didn't totally trust him, but he seemed decent enough. Besides, now that I thought about it, I doubted he would try to hurt me for fear of retaliation. I'm sure Antonio would not be happy with him. Neither would Nick or Reese. I wasn't entirely sure about Noah, but maybe him as well. Still, I doubted I'd ever go shopping with Addison if Max persisted with his attitude. Temporary? Antonio had made it abundantly clear that he wanted me here and that he loved me. As long as that was true, I would stay.

"Don't worry, I have lots of experience. I pick out Max's clothes every day. That boy would wear Converse, jeans and a t-shirt every day if he could," he chuckled and rolled his eyes. I laughed at this as well. Addison was a total fashion victim, that much was obvious.

"So, you're into music I see, we have something in common then," he said now. I just nodded and looked at him with interest. He had eyed the room upon his entrance, but he'd had a knowing look in his eyes. "I go to Julliard. I sing, dance and play the piano and the violin. I am hoping to get onto Broadway someday, but we'll see. For now, I have my own website where I put my videos of my work, original songs as well as covers, acting and concert videos," he informed me. I nodded, but couldn't help but be impressed and feel a little taken aback. Was he telling me this to impress me or intimidate me? Besides, he's not the kind of guy I'd peg as a singer.

"You don't seem the type to be into music and acting, I figured you were into law or something else," I said tentatively. The guy seemed to be making an effort to speak with me and make conversation, but I wasn't sure if this is what he wanted to hear. Addison just chuckled, though.

"Are you interested in pursuing music as a career? If so, I can help with Julliard applications and things. If you wanted to go there," he said. I immediately shook my head and looked away. No, I was not good enough for that. Even if my teachers were right and I was good, I wasn't good enough for Julliard, this I knew.

"It's just a hobby," I said truthfully.

"If you change your mind, talk to me. You're good, I've been listening," he said and I looked up at him disbelievingly, but nodded all the same. Three times in two days. Was I really better than I thought or were they all just saying it?

"Thanks," I said, still feeling uncertain. He nodded, but seemed to be thinking it over.

"Listen, I have to go, but, before I do, I just want to let you know I am doing everything I can to convince Max you're a good person and get him to stop picking on you. I'm not sure what it is, but Max is different. Something bad happened to him, Kim, but he's never told me and I don't think many people know. Maybe you know, but I don't. He has these weird scars...," he started to say, but I cut him off.

"I've seen those, there horrible," I said softly, shivering slightly at the memory of last night. Thankfully, Addison didn't seem to notice. He just nodded and I caught a gleam in his eyes that I knew well. I saw it in Reese's and Tonio's very frequently. Protectiveness. He was protective of Max. Well, of course he was, he's his…mate.

"At first I thought maybe someone here gave them to him, but he assured me no one did and I believe him. Your dad can be as scary as hell, but he would never hurt any of you," he said now, but I just nodded. I'm pretty sure he caught a look of protectiveness in my eyes now. No one in their right mind would ever accuse Antonio of hurting his children, ever. He was the best man I had ever known and I was so thankful that I had somehow managed to land into his arms.

"Maybe someday we'll know," I said, shrugging, and he nodded. I really did want to know what really happened to him, since I still wasn't sure if I believed Reese about the accident story. The door behind Addison opened suddenly and Reese walked in, but Addison didn't seem notice. I had to work hard to keep my face neutral when I saw him.

Addison got up then, grinning at me, and said, "It was nice to meet you, Kim. I'll work on Max, I can't promise a miracle, but I'll try my best. I can promise a very good vegan meal for tonight, though," he said and Reese made a face behind Addison which I mirrored. I had always loved meat, more so now that I was a werewolf, but I would eat whatever was laid before me if I was hungry enough. Addison waved goodbye and turned around to notice Reese for the first time.

"Hey," Addison greeted as Reese shifted his gaze between Addison and me. It had been obvious that Addison hadn't hurt me, but for some reason Reese needed to double check before he visibly relaxed. Gosh, he really is protective. I wonder if he's like this with Max and Noah as well.

"Hey," Reese said once he'd verified that all was well. Addison took off out the door and Reese shut it immediately, turning to face me. "You okay?" he asked as he came towards me. I nodded and got up, meeting him half way.

"It seems that way, doesn't it?" I said, raising my eyebrow. He frowned at me, clearly not liking my swipe at his wolfish protectiveness, but I just chuckled. That made his smile appear and he grabbed me around the waist. I controlled myself before freezing up and smiled up at him.

"You ever play Halo?" he asked. It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about then the name clicked. An Xboxgame but I'd never played it. I shook my head and his grin widened. "Well, then Noah's going to enjoy killing you."

"Who says I won't be the one doing the killing? I've been a gamer for years. I don't like to boast, but I have acquired some mean assassination skills," I said. I saw challenge flash in his eyes.

"How about we put them it to the test then?" he said and led me from the room, still clinging to my waist.


	16. Ch 16 Dominance Games

_**Hey, guys! Please, please review! Even if it's just a word or two, just let me know that your there, that you're liking the story and/or enjoying it! Criticism is also accepted of course! Thanks to all those who have supported me thus far!**_

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Fight. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim will soon be introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins _and_ Hurt.

Ch 16 Dominance Games

I jumped over the fallen tree, barely making it over it before I heard him jump as well. I couldn't outrun him. He was much faster than me. Within seconds he tackled me from behind, sending us flying into the undergrowth. He nipped my neck just before I rolled away from him, but it was no use. He jumped on top of me and pinned me before I could even think of retaliation. I whined and he let me go. He got off of me and I stumbled up, walking over to him. The moment I was within reach, he licked my muzzle and then nuzzled his nose into my neck. I nipped his ear playfully just before he was pushed aside and his blond fur was replaced by a dark brown one. Nick. Reese growled at him but Nick just growled back.

I turned away from their dominance game and found myself face to face with another wolf, this one a medium brown colour and smaller than me. The wind was in my favour so I knew who he was. Max, a Pack brother, but I had yet to establish my dominance over him, the only one I could establish dominance over. I held his gaze, looming over him and bringing myself to my full height, the wolf in total control. He mirrored my actions and didn't look away. I growled menacingly, warning him to back down. He didn't. I pounced and sent us sailing to the ground. He nipped me several times, but I had him pinned in no time. I was larger than him so I had the advantage, just like Reese had had the advantage over me. I bit down on his neck as I stood over him, pinning him down. He growled so I bit down a bit harder, but not hard enough to draw blood. He whimpered slightly, but I held him down a little longer before letting him up. He growled as he trotted away from me, although he backed down from my gaze when he turned back to face me.

Antonio appeared with Noah then and we all immediately gave him our submission before we set off on our hunt. We hunted deer. They lived in abundance around Sorrentino Estate so it wasn't difficult to find them. We found a small herd in a glade some time later and we all ran forward, terrorizing the silly animals as we pinpointed the sick or the wounded. Moments later, we were all enjoying the meal.

Once we were done, we left the clearing in search of one with more overhead since it had started to rain. It didn't take us long to find one and we all instantly took up spots to clean ourselves. Reese was by my side before I had even sat down and started cleaning me the moment I had. As I cleaned him back, I glanced over at Antonio and saw him cleaning Max while Nick and Noah were cleaning each other as well. As soon as we were all blood-free, the others came over to lay down around me and Antonio pushed Max to lay down beside me. Had we been in human form, I'm sure he would have argued vigorously, but we weren't. As wolves, instinct told us to protect the small and the young, the weak. In this case, Max and me. So, Max obediently laid down beside me with Noah on his other side, while I had Reese on my right flank. Antonio sprawled himself before us, meaning we were nuzzling our noises into his flank, and Nick covered us from behind. I instantly felt protected and was soon asleep.

* * *

><p>I awoke feeling caged in and hot. The bodies around me felt like a sauna. Wait, bodies? Oh shit. I tried not to move so I wouldn't wake anyone up, but anxiety was building up and fast. I had known that we wouldn't be Changing back today. Antonio had gone to talk with me and told me so and had asked if I had any problems with this. I did and he knew it, but I'd told him that I would try and stay calm. So not happening. Especially since I was curled up against Reese with my back to him and he had his arm around me. I could feel Max pushed up against me with his back to me too. There was no way in hell that I was getting out of here without waking someone, much less escape without being seen.<p>

I shifted slightly and Reese's grip on me tightened. Oh crap. He's awake. My heart sped up like it had been given a shot of adrenaline and breathing suddenly became very difficult. Reese's hand on my stomach started rubbing circles and he whispered into my ear. "Relax, Kim." His breath tickled my ear and my heart went into overdrive. Good God, there was not a chance in hell that I could calm down. My eyes snapped open as I heard Max mutter something but he remained unmoving. Still sleeping, good.

Suddenly, I felt someone tickling my feet, but I knew who it was. I kicked out and hit Nick in the nose. He let out a soft grunt and I froze. Please don't let anyone else wake up. Too late. Noah, who was Max's other side, stirred and sat up, stretching. Reese's grip tightened again and I heard him growl lowly behind me. Noah looked over at us, but immediately looked away. Antonio was the next to wake. I felt him move above me and then seconds later, he was by Max's side, giving me a questioning look. I didn't have time to hide my displeasure and he saw it.

"Reese," he said softly, giving Reese a look. Reese released me and I felt him back up, but I didn't move. I just wanted to disappear. Antonio looked at me again, but I didn't even try to hide my feelings. I'm sure they could smell the anxiety rolling off of me in waves. Slowly, I lifted myself up but remained seated on the ground, pulling me legs to me. Thankfully, my waist length hair covered my front. That didn't mean I was any less uncomfortable.

Antonio gave me a worried look but said nothing. He knew he would only make it worse if he did. I sat motionless, trying to ignore the people around me, as Antonio gently roused Max. He stirred and looked up at Antonio, grinning, and then jumped on top of him, starting a play fight. Noah joined them, but I stayed where I was, watching them. Maybe if I just got up and left… The thought evaporated as Nick crouched in front of me, Reese right beside him. I instantly dropped my gaze and flushed deeply. The both had amazingly stunning bodies, though I liked Reese's more.

"Kim," Nick said, but I didn't look up. I wished the earth would swallow me whole. I felt Nick's hand on my shoulder and he said my name again, but I didn't move. Why the hell had I come? I wasn't ready, far from it. But I hadn't wanted to disappoint Antonio, I just couldn't. "Kim, you have an amazing body. You don't have to be embarrassed," Nick said suddenly. I shook my head and I heard him sigh. It's not that I didn't think I had a nice body. It was the whole being naked around naked men that was getting at me.

"Nick," I heard Antonio say and Nick instantly stood. They must have communicated silently because I heard nothing more before Nick left. I heard two more sets of footsteps, Noah's and Max's, follow him out of the clearing. Reese was still crouching before me, but I didn't acknowledge him. My body did and that was enough. "Reese," Antonio growled. I don't know if any silent communication went on between them or a dominance match, but eventually Reese got up and left.

"Sweetheart," Antonio said once Reese had exited the clearing. I felt him kneel beside me and I immediately fell into him, not even caring that he was naked. Tears fell, though I tried to hold them back. "Princess, it's okay," he whispered, but I just shook my head. No, it was not okay. Why couldn't I just act like Elena and be okay with this? I knew she had taken a while before getting used to it, but I lived with five other guys. I needed to get used to this and soon. It wasn't that I wasn't okay with my body, but when I had been naked in the showers when I had been in school, they had literally persecuted my body. Fat and ugly they'd called me. I guess that was affecting me more than I cared to admit.

"I just…need time," I sobbed. I doubted that was true, but I would try, I needed to try. This was my life now and I had to get used to it. I would deal with this, I had to. Slowly, I pulled away from Tonio and wiped my tears away.

"You're beautiful, princess," Antonio said as he took my chin and tugged gently, so I was facing him. "And I'm not just saying it." I nodded and got up, walking away from him in the direction the guys had gone. I heard Antonio sigh softly before joining me in silence. I don't know why I didn't feel uncomfortable around Tonio though. Maybe because he's older or because he's my protector or because I see him as a father, I don't know. It just was.

Back at the house, I went straight to my bedroom. I heard the guys in the kitchen, chatting as they munched on their snacks, but I didn't feel like joining them, not yet, despite my own hunger. I headed for the shower and forced my body into calm. Once I was more relaxed I was able to see with some clarity. My body's reaction to Reese was overwhelming. It reacted whenever he was near, but being naked beside him set it off in a way I had never known possible. And it scared me. Though this probably contributed to my reaction in the glade, it wasn't the main problem. My fear of being judged because of my body overrode everything else, and I had no idea how to fix it.

I was getting dressed when I heard a knock on the door. Despite the fact that they had all seen me naked moments ago, I still pulled my top on before calling a greeting. The door opened and Noah walked in, shutting the door behind him. I stared at him, slightly surprised. I had thought that maybe Nick or Reese would come up to see if I was okay, or maybe Antonio to reassure me, but not Noah. He was still a little shy around me.

"Hey," he said tentatively, making no move to come near me. He was probably afraid that I'd shut down again. "Can we talk?" he asked. I nodded and gestured towards the bed. He sat down and I sat down right beside him. Physical closeness with clothes on didn't seem to bother me now that I had gone through it without. "Look, I can't even begin to imagine how difficult this is for you. I wasn't bitten, but I wasn't always part of the Pack either," he said and then looked at me. I nodded for him to continue since I knew this. "So, I had to get used to all this as well. I wasn't comfortable with it either, well, not much anyway. I guess I kind of felt inadequate around the sculptured guys I lived with." I frowned at him. Noah may not be as muscular as Antonio, but he was extremely well toned. He just shook his head when he caught my expression. "I didn't always look like this. I had to work long and hard to get this body. But you already have an amazing body, Kim." I flushed as he said this. He smiled at me and laid a hand on my knee reassuringly.

"Noah, I…" I had no idea about what to say. He was sharing his lack of confidence with me and it caught me completely off guard. Not only that, but he was trying to make me feel better. He was telling me that he accepted my body and that he wasn't judging me because of it, and I felt so relieved.

"And you're gorgeous," he said now with a smile. "Even if you don't believe me, I'm going to say it again. You are gorgeous." My blush deepened and I was at a lost for words, so I did the only thing that I could do to show my thanks. I leaned forward and hugged him. He hesitated for a split second before returning the embrace full force.

"Thank you," I whispered and I felt him nod into my shoulder. Whether his words would help me on our next run, I had no idea, but it felt like it. For someone to trust me the way Noah just had was beyond me. I still wanted to talk to him about his parents though, but I had no idea on how to move the subject there. Before I could think of something, however, there was a knock on my door. I pulled away from Noah and gave permission to my new visitor to enter.

Reese came in and regarded us for a moment before nodding to Noah. Noah immediately got up and went straight to the door. Did I miss something? Where's the fire? "Kim," Noah called from the door, "Don't forget what I just told you, but don't worry. I'll remind you as much as I can." He smiled and left, closing the door behind him. I stared at the door as Reese came over to me and took Noah's vacated spot.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly as he took my hand. I nodded to the floor, but didn't answer him. I was okay, better than I had been before at least. I'm pretty sure that if Noah hadn't been the one to come to talk to me, I would probably be having a meltdown right now. I heard Reese sigh and then he said, "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It wasn't my intention, I promise. Sometimes I forget that you're still getting used to all this and—"

"It's okay, Reese," I said and finally looked at him. Concern clouded his gaze and he squeezed my hand. "I'm…I'm getting used to it. I'm trying to at least." He nodded and lifted his other hand to my cheek. I didn't freeze at his touch for once and I know he noticed.

"Nick's right, you know. You are beautiful," he said and I flushed again. Coming from Noah, the compliment had caught me off guard, but it had made me feel good after his trust in me. Now, coming from Reese, while I'd expected something like this, I hadn't expected it to fill me with joy. He smiled at me as he dropped his hand to my waist and he leaned forward. I stiffened slightly as he nuzzled his cheek to mine, but I quickly relaxed. "And I love your body," he whispered into my ear. I froze, my breath hitched and my brain suddenly stopped working. No one had ever said that before. Well, no one had ever called me beautiful or gorgeous before either. I felt like I was going to have heart failure right then and really hoped Reese knew CPR. The door opened suddenly, but I couldn't look over to see who was there because Reese hadn't even moved. It took him a few seconds before leaning back, but he did so slowly. I turned to look at the door to see Antonio there.

"You should eat something, princess," he said, obviously deciding not to notice Reese's firm grip on me. "You have training later and I don't want you to be hurt." I felt a slight ache in my heart as it filled with warmth, like it normally did when Tonio was so caring with me. I nodded and got up, but Reese didn't let got, so he got up with me. Antonio rolled his eyes and turned around, leading us from the room.

* * *

><p>I swung out of the way as he sent a left hook my way, but it still grazed me. Damn, he was good. Much better than Nick and Noah, but nowhere near as good as Clay. I dodged again as Reese sent a blow and a low kick my way, barely avoiding them. Reese had me on my toes and I'm sure the others that were watching thought I was dancing instead of fighting. I had only managed to land a handful of blows, but Reese doubled that. The blows hadn't been hard though, not as hard as I knew he should be trying to hit, but I doubted anyone would be able to tell from the sidelines. That didn't mean that he was going any easier on me though.<p>

Reese jumped forward as I spun from my sidestep and I knew I wouldn't be able to get away. I feinted to the right, but let him tackle me. His arms wrapped around my waist and we went flying to the floor. I pushed forward as he hit me and managed to land on top of him, just. I straddled him quickly, but he was already trying to pin my hands. I dug my knees into his sides and I'm sure he had the same déjà vu I did. He winced and buckled. I just managed to grab his wrists, but I lost my grip on his body. He pushed off the ground and rolled us to the side, pinning me under him, but I still had his wrists immobilized. He growled softly when he realized this.

I wriggled under him, looking for leverage. He let his weight fall on me, but he inadvertently gave me the leverage I needed. I hated to use it, but Clay had taught me to take advantage of every opportunity I had. I relaxed my body, lulling him into a false sense of victory. Once his body over me had released its tension, I attacked. I let go of his wrists and grabbed him around the neck, pulling my self slightly out from underneath him. It wasn't much, but it was enough. He took my hands in his and pinned them over my head. He still hadn't adjusted his body though. I brought my knee up and hit him in between the legs. He grunted and his grip on me lessened. I took a hold of his shoulders now and pushed him up and rolled over. I was on top of him again. This time though, I pinned him within seconds. He struggled under me, but I held him tight. When I realized he wasn't going to give up, I leaned forward and placed my lips on his neck, slightly grazing it. He froze under me and I knew I'd won. I'd never used this before because it was more of a wolf move than a human one. In wolf form, if you were caught by the neck, you were done for.

Slowly, I pulled away and released my grip on his wrists above his head. He smiled up at me and his eyes shone with…pride? I instantly flushed and quickly got off of him. I watched him as he got up, his muscles flexing, his eyes never leaving mine. He stood before me, holding my gaze, and I was about to look away, but he did it first. I stiffened at his submission, just like I had the last time. Somehow it just felt so wrong. I didn't want him to be submissive to me, I wanted us to be equals, but I knew this was just the wolf in us. A dominant creature that lived inside of all of us, and we always had to work hard to keep it under control.

* * *

><p>I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, waiting for Reese and Antonio. They had asked me if I wanted to join them. They were going to watch some show on the telly and I'd agreed. I waited patiently as I heard them in the kitchen, grabbing drinks and such. I then noticed a book on the coffee table. I got up and went over to the table, taking the book in my hand. <em>Wuthering Heights.<em> Okay, then. Since this isn't my book, what male, and a werewolf at that, would even want to read this, let alone own the book?

"That's mine," I heard and looked up to see Max walking towards me. When he reached me, he yanked it out of my grasp and spun around to leave, only to come face to face with Reese. Damn. Reese glared down at Max and Max was smart enough to look away. I caught Reese's eye and gently shook my head. His wolf flashed, but he nodded all the same.

"I'm sorry, Max. I didn't know it was yours," I said softly. He turned slightly so I could see his face, but not giving Reese his back either. Smart boy.

"Just stay away from my things," he growled. Reese growled lowly and before I could stop him, he'd snapped, or more specifically, his wolf snapped.

"If you're going to be so possessive, Max, then you may as well stay away from my things as well," Reese said softly, but the anger in his voice was crystal clear. I didn't catch Max's expression as he turned to Reese. He strode forward and stalked past Reese, muttering under his breath something that sounded like 'I'll stay away from Kim then'. Reese growled, but before he could say anything, Max had already left. I was about to ask him what Max had meant or if I had even heard right, when Antonio came in, hauling the drinks. We pretended like nothing had happened since I really didn't want to worry Tonio with this. We had already given him enough hell.

Later that evening, I was still in the living room with Antonio and Reese watching the TV. The show we were watching was supposed to be half drama and half comedy, but it seemed very girlish to me. I could only imagine why two men had invited me to watch it in the first place. If they thought I enjoyed soap operas, I should probably tell them that I enjoyed _Bones_ and _CSI_ rather than _Desperate Housewives_ or _How I Met Your Mother. _

I laughed at one of the jokes as did Antonio and Reese. Antonio's laugh vibrated through me as I sat curled up against him and he encompassed me with his arms. Reese sat on the couch beside us and smiled at me when he caught my eye. I flushed as I remembered how he'd nuzzled me in my room yesterday. Suddenly, I caught movement by the doorway and looked over to see Max standing there. He scowled at me and walked away. Okay, what did I do now? Other than spend some time with Antonio that is. Max was really touchy about this it seemed. Or he could still be pissed about the book incident.

I continued to watch the show, but my interest wasn't in it. I didn't want to keep fighting with Max. I wanted to get along with him. Right now it seemed unlikely, but I at least wanted to try to get him to stop scowling and glaring at me when he didn't like something I did. I'd prefer it if we talked it out and reached an agreement or something. His actions echoed those of the bullies I had had and it hurt, a lot, and I don't think he realized it or cared.

With the excuse of a bathroom break, I extracted myself from Antonio's grip and left the living room, following Max's scent. To my surprise it led to my room. Trespassing on my territory? This felt like a dominance game to me. I opened the door and walked in, but he was nowhere to be seen. I followed his scent trail to the window then and had a brief feeling of déjà vu. The nightmare I had when I'd seen his scarred body still haunted me. I reluctantly looked down, but Max wasn't splattered on the ground, thankfully. Then up it was.

I hoisted myself on to the roof easily enough and found Max sitting on the other side. His legs were dangling over the edge and he was glaring over at me as if I'd interrupted something important. He chuffed in a very wolf like manner and turned his gaze up to the stars. "Max," I said tentatively, but he ignored me. I slowly walked over to him, fear growing in me as I watched his legs dangle. I sat a few feet away from him, hoping he wouldn't smell my fear and mistake it for a fear of him. Though I had established my dominance over him as a wolf, the human still didn't accept me. We barely spoke and he would normally leave if we were in the same room. The way he treated me reminded me so much of my past that for a moment, anger shot through me before I pushed it back and the fear returned. I needed to get him off the roof. "Max, I…I really wish we could talk," I said.

"About what?" he growled and I flinched at his tone. I kept the hurt at bay though. I wouldn't let him think of me as weak. He then suddenly shifted his position, giving me his back. So he already thought I was weak if he was giving me his back, he thought that I couldn't hurt him. I'm sure I could, but I wouldn't. That's not how this was going to be resolved. Step one, though, was getting him off the roof. Was this why his windows were sealed, though?

"I—" I started to say but cut off when I heard someone coming onto the roof. I looked over to see Antonio climbing up from my window. He must have come in search of me when I had taken so long. He gave me a soft, gentle look of worry when he looked at me, but gave Max a look of anger. I mentally flinched at this. Max may be my resident bully, but I still felt bad when Antonio chewed him out sometimes.

"Princess, I would rather you not come onto the roof without me or Nick or one of the other boys," Antonio said in a gentle voice. I nodded and felt a familiar warmth inside of me that I felt whenever he worried about me. "Max, you know you are forbidden to come up here," he said now in a harder tone than the one he had used on me. Max sighed and I felt a sudden surge of protectiveness. Antonio was his father and a great one at that. If he said he couldn't come up then there was probably a good reason behind it. Just like the one behind his sealed windows. "Both of you inside, now," he commanded, but his tone softened somewhat now.

"Sorry, Antonio," I said softly as he stepped forward. I hated it when he had to order us around, though the wolf understood this well. What I hated more, though, was the thought of disappointing Tonio. With the disastrous run the other day, I had been sure I'd screwed it up, but I hadn't. Antonio was as loving and as understanding as always. Still, the fear remained, for now.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," he said gently and bent down to help me up. He led me across the roof and gestured for Max to follow. I mentally winced at this. I agreed that Max should be punished, but not like this. Maybe Tonio didn't realize what he was doing though. I did see it, however. I saw the hurt look in Max's eyes whenever he saw me with Antonio or when we were both in the room and he decided to sit with me and not him. I didn't like this anymore than he did, I felt terrible about it despite his behaviour towards me. I wished we could just work it out.

Antonio climbed down first and then helped me down. He walked me over to my bed and sat me down. "Are you okay?" he asked as wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I nodded, but said nothing as I watched Max climb in. Relief ran through me instantly. After the way he was treating, it felt stupid to be worried about him, but he was my Pack brother, whether he liked it or not, and the wolf understood that I had to protect those younger than me, including Max. "Bedroom, now," Antonio ordered. Max looked incredulously between me and Antonio.

"Dad," he said angrily and crossed his arms, standing tall, obviously feeling defensive about this. I couldn't blame him. "I'm in trouble and she's not?" he growled. I jerked my head to look at Antonio.

"I was up there too, Antonio," I said and he nodded, rubbing my shoulder. I felt stupid for siding with Max, but good at the same time. Does that make sense?

"Yes, princess, but you don't know all the rules yet and there are different rules for each one of you. You're all different people. If you want to go to the roof, you can, but Max can't. Go to your room, Max, now," Tonio ordered. Max sighed and growled before taking off and leaving my room, slamming my door shut in the process. Antonio growled at this, but didn't move from my side.

"Did Max have an accident? Is that why he has those scars?" I asked as soon as I heard Max's door slam shut as well. He sighed and pulled me closer to him. I had wanted to talk to him about this for a while, but I hadn't known how to breach the subject. Now I just couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I suppose it was a series of accidents, princess. He was neglected before he came to live with me," he said softly. So he hadn't always lived with Tonio then. What had happened then?

"Was it his mother?" I asked and felt Antonio stiffen against me.

"I love you, Kim, and I don't want to lie to you. I'd rather not tell you just yet, okay?" he asked.

"Okay, I understand," I whispered and meant it. If it was something terrible or painful, he might not want to talk about it and I was probably hurting him by asking him to talk about it. But I was thankful that he hadn't lied to me. I couldn't express how much that meant to me right then. He kissed my head then and murmured a 'thank you' and an 'I love you' before heading out. I heard him walk down the hall and into Max's room. I tuned out their voices and took my book from the night stand and climbed onto the gigantic bed.

I was reading _The Last Song_, again. I just loved the book. I was finishing it though. I was reading the last chapter narrated by the father as he talked about the love for his children and realized something. Antonio had said that he loved me more times than I could count, and I had yet to say so in return. At first, I guess I'd feared saying those words out loud. I hadn't said them since my grandmother had passed away.

I jumped out of bed then, discarding my book, and went to the door. I slipped into the hallway and followed Antonio's scent from my door to Max's. I hesitated. I didn't want to interrupt them and make Max angrier at me still. I knocked anyway though. I would only be a moment, then Tonio could go back to him and they could spend all night together. I opened the door and peeked in to find Max in Antonio's arms, looking at peace and happy before spotting me. His dogs, Brick and Aiden, lay beside him and stared at me curiously from the bed.

"I'm sorry," I said more to Max than Antonio. Tonio quickly got up and came towards me. I kept my eyes on Max though, who was frowning at me. I opened my mouth to tell him that it would only be a moment, but Antonio then said, "Good night, Max," and closed the door. Oh. Maybe they'd finished talking then.

Antonio led me back to my room and followed me in, closing the door behind him. He turned and made a move to go towards the bed, but I didn't move. I was tired and I just wanted to tell him this before allowing myself to drift off. I couldn't believe that I hadn't already told him I loved him. It seemed so silly now.

"I just… I wanted to tell you that…I love you too and I probably should have said it sooner," I said softly, holding his brown gaze. Within seconds, he'd wrapped his arms around me and whispered that he loved me. I hugged him back, knowing that it had been at least fifteen years since I had told someone that resembled a father figure that I loved them.

* * *

><p>Once again I found myself typing an email for Abbey. You'd think that over the last two weeks she'd have filled me in on the events of her life for the past two months. Not a chance. Then of course she needed to tell me everything that happened in her everyday life. I didn't mind though. In fact, I loved it. I loved to know what was going on in her life. I told her everything about mine as well, everything that didn't include my wolf half that is.<p>

My door suddenly swung open and I knew who my visitor was before I even looked up. Max stood in my doorway, looking defiant, his wolf very close at hand. Okay, what did he want? I hope he's not here to yell at me for what happened downstairs. We had been having lunch, Antonio filling me in on the family rules and habits when Max got up and abandoned the table without being excused. So, technically, it was his own fault that he got into trouble, but I'm sure he'd been pissed because all the attention had been focused on me. He shouldn't be pissed at me, though. It's not like I asked for the attention.

"Max," I said, wondering if maybe he had decided to finally fix things between us. His stance indicated otherwise, however.

"I want to fight you, I am challenging you to a fight," he said. Okay, didn't see that one coming. A fight? Was he serious? "You fought all my brothers so you can fight me now. Training room in twenty minutes unless you need more time to do whatever the hell it is you're doing," he growled.

"No, that's fine," I said a bit more forcefully than I had intended due to his tone with me. He nodded and left. I jumped off the bed and grabbed my workout clothes. Was I crazy? Possibly, but somehow I felt like this could work. Clay had accepted me after I beat Nick in a fight, his wolf recognizing a good fighter. Reese had even been submissive to me when I beat him, though I still wasn't sure if he had let me win or not. Since Max was more in touch with his wolf than the rest of us, then maybe if I beat him, he will accept me, or at least his wolf can. I had gained dominance over his wolf on our run the other day, but a struggle had been necessary for that. Could the same be applied here? God, I hoped so. I was just so sick of Max's attitude. I didn't like the fact that I was resorting to the wolf in us to fix this problem, but I was out of ideas.

Once I was ready, I left my room and started heading down to the training room. In the hallway though, I ran into Noah and Reese. They stared at me and I'm sure they knew that it wasn't my time for a training session yet.

"Max challenged me to a fight," I explained. Neither of them looked happy about this and I honestly couldn't blame them, but they didn't argue. Reese volunteered to referee and Noah said he'd come down to watch. I was secretly thankful for this. I wasn't scared of Max, but I knew he was a great fighter. If he managed to get me down, I had no idea if his hate for me would unleash his wolf. That was something I'm sure we would both regret.

We went down into the divided basement and I could hear Max hitting the shit out of the punching bag. When we walked into the training room, Max looked up at us and didn't seem surprised to see Noah and Reese. He just walked forward and prepared himself in the centre of the room. Reese stepped forward, preparing to referee, but I took a moment to look Max over. He was shirtless and I couldn't help but let my gaze wander over his scarred body and linger on his crudely done tattoo.

I stepped forward and Reese gave us the signal to begin. Max pounced forward, trying to tackle me, but I just sidestep. I tried to spin around, but Max was just as quick as me. We both had the advantage of smallness, speed and flexibility. They weren't advantages when we faced each other though. Now, for the first time, I would have to rely on my size and weight, since I was bigger than him. Max surged forward again before I could finish turning and I caught him, but the angle was wrong and his inertia sent us to the ground. He sent out a punch, but I blocked it easily, completely missing his other blow that hit me in the chin. Damn. I kicked out at him and hit him, quickly rolling and landing on top of him. I managed to pin him clumsily, but he still had one hand free and tried to punch me, though he didn't have the leverage for it to be effective. We exchanged some more punches and kicks, but it was obvious I had the upper hand. As much as he struggled, he couldn't escape from under me. Eventually, I managed to pin him and secure his hands over his head.

"Get off," he growled angrily. I looked him in the eyes and saw that he wasn't backing down even though I had already won. I was not going to give into him, though. I had done nothing to deserve his treatment and my beating him had obviously done nothing to change his attitude towards me. Far from it. Suddenly, I heard a growl from the door. I looked up to see Antonio there and he didn't look very happy. Oh shit. I quickly scrambled off of Max and stood up.

"I didn't sanction this; I did not give you permission, any of you," Antonio growled. Oh crap. He was angry and I hated to know that I was responsible for that anger. I had had no idea that we needed permission for this. I'd only been here for two weeks and Antonio had been filling me in on the rules, but this one had slipped his mind. "Princess, are you alright?" Tonio said now, turning to me and his look softening. Okay, why wasn't he angry with me? I nodded, but I was still confused.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," I said, but he didn't seem to be angry with me. Why? Why was he always treating me like a princess? Tonio must have seen that something was wrong and moved towards me, laying a hand on my shoulder. I stiffened slightly so he immediately let me go. It wasn't that I didn't want his affection, I did, but this was not the time. He was supposed to be angry at me anyway, right? Or was this going to go down like last night with the roof incident?

"It's okay, sweetheart, you're not in trouble," he said and I almost winced. I did not like this special treatment he was giving me, okay, I did, but it seemed unfair to his sons, especially to Max. I was going to have to talk to him about it. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked now, worry clouding his eyes.

"I'm fine, Antonio, he didn't hurt me," I lied. Sure, Max had gotten in some pretty good shots, but I didn't want to have Tonio worrying over me when we were all supposed to be in trouble. He didn't seem convinced, but gave in. Antonio turned to face Max and I followed suit. He glared at me before turning his attention to Tonio.

"Room, now, and don't you dare leave until I come and see you, Maximus," Antonio warned, but Max just crossed his arms, looking defiant. I knew this was not good, but Max seemed really pissed right now. God, he could be stubborn sometimes.

"What, you don't care about me being hurt? As long as your precious princess is okay, nothing else matters?" he growled. I winced at his words. I knew I had hit him hard as well so maybe he was hurt too, but he didn't have to talk like that. I could feel the hate coming from him as he spoke. And I hated it.

"Room, now," Antonio roared. Max glared at him before stomping off to his room, slamming every door he encountered. Antonio sighed and then sent the guys from the room so he could speak to me alone. "Are you sure you're alright?" I made a face then. Months ago I would never have let him see my true reaction, but I trusted him now more than ever.

"I'm fine, Antonio. I'm just sorry about all this. I had no idea we needed permission for this," I said. I was growing accustomed to be able to speak my mind and express my true feelings, but sometimes they still needed to push and prod me.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Like I said, you still don't know all the rules—" he started but I cut him off, something I would have ever even dreamed of doing before a few months ago.

"But still, I think it's unfair for you to treat me differently," I said softly. I had always been treated differently in school, but back then it hadn't been a good thing. Now I was being treated differently in a good way, but it didn't seem to sit too well with Max, because his father was spending more time with me in order to make me feel special, to make me feel like a princess. Every one else just seemed happy about having me here, the reasons behind which completely eluded me, but it seemed like they really did like me.

"I treat you differently, sweetheart, because I know that your situation before you were bitten had not been good and because you are the only daughter I have. You're my princess," he said with a smile and I immediately felt tears come up to my eyes. God, this man made me cry of happiness way too much. He hugged me to him and I hugged him back. We then left the training room and he accompanied me to my room. He told me to expect an apology from Max very soon and then waited for me to get into my room before he went to Max's room. I heard him roar at him and quickly tuned out. I really didn't want to hear it.

Since I knew Max would be here soon, I grabbed my laptop and finished writing the email I had been writing to Abbey before Max had come to challenge me. I really missed her, but for now this was the only way we would be in contact. She had been quick to forgive me about everything and I loved her for it. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps coming towards my bedroom and quickly got up. "Kim," I heard Max call from the other side as I reached the door. I opened it and stepped aside, letting him in. He walked in and closed the door. He didn't look very happy and I couldn't blame him if Antonio had made him apologize.

"Look, I'm sorry for getting you into trouble and all with dad, but I don't like you and, honestly, I don't want you around," he said. His words hurt me, but at least he was being honest and straightforward about how he felt towards me, though his actions in the past two weeks had spoken for themselves. It would have been worse if he had pretended to like me and then stabbed me in the back like it has happened so many times. "Maybe someday I'll like you, but you have to prove yourself to me first. You can't just come walking in here and take over, Kim," he told me. I nodded, though I didn't agree with his words. I was not taking over. Still, I refused to be bullied in my new home.

"Okay," I said and turned away from him, like I'd turned away from other bullies not so long ago. "I don't like you much either," I said now. After all, who liked bullies? And that's exactly how Max was acting, like a bully, even though his reasons behind it were entirely different than the ones the bullies at school had had. I heard him leave, closing the door behind him, and wondered how long it would take for this to work out between us. This was my home now and I wanted to be happy here. I'd have to prove to Max that I could be trusted, but how?


	17. Ch 17 Free

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Aftermath.**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt _and_ Challenge.

_*The dress Kim wears in this chapter can be viewed here: www(.)stylebistro(.).com/lookbook/Vanessa+Hudgens/X0LwMAcKYwp/Dresses+Skirts/angle/X0LwMAcKYwp_

**Believe in me – Demi Lovato**

I'm losing myself trying to compete  
>With everyone else instead of just being me<br>Don't know where to turn  
>I've been stuck in this routine<br>I need to change my ways  
>Instead of always being weak<p>

I don't wanna be afraid  
>I wanna wake up feeling beautiful today<br>And know that I'm okay  
>Cause everyone's perfect in their usual way<br>So you see, I just wanna believe in me

The mirror can lie  
>Doesn't show you what's inside<br>And it, it can tell you you're full of life  
>It's amazing what you can hide<br>Just by putting on a smile

I don't wanna be afraid…

I'm quickly finding out  
>I'm not about to break down, not today<br>I guess I always knew  
>That I had all the strength to make it through<p>

**Everything I Own – David Gates**

You sheltered me from harm  
>Kept me warm, kept me warm<br>You gave my life to me  
>Set me free, set me free<br>The finest years I ever knew  
>Were all the years I had with you<br>And...

I would give anything I own  
>Give up my life, my heart, my home<br>I would give everything I own  
>Just to have you back again<p>

You taught me how to love  
>What it's of, what it's of<br>You never said too much  
>But still you showed the way<br>And I knew from watching you  
>Nobody else could ever know<br>The part of me that can't let go

Ch 17 Free

Kim POV

I ran up the stairs, knowing full well that I wasn't late, but I always liked to arrive five or ten minutes earlier. A habit engrained into me by my grandmother. Somehow being here at the academy brought her back and I would sometimes forget that she was gone.

I had been at the academy for almost two weeks now and my singing teacher, Michelle, had told me that her assistant would be joining her this week. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of having someone else in the classroom with me, much less a male, but at least I would be able to work on male and female duets. Besides, I'd better get used to performing before others. I had been informed that there would be a performance in about two months time. That definitely did not thrill me. What's worse was that Antonio knew and had said that he would be inviting the rest of the Pack to come and watch. I'd have to try and convince him that it wasn't necessary or something since there was no way I'd be able to avoid being in the performance. It was compulsory. This was a school for performers so we had to perform, as simple as that.

I knocked on the classroom door and waited for Michelle's greeting before walking in. As I closed the door behind me, I picked up a familiar scent. No way. It couldn't be. But it was. Sitting on the piano bench and talking animatedly with Michelle was the one and only Addison St. George. Max's boyfriend. Damn. I still didn't totally trust him although he seemed like a nice person, but I didn't want him here. I didn't want him to listen to me sing. What if my lack of talent made him decide that he didn't want to even try to get along with me? Or worse, back Max up with his hateful judgement towards me?

Addison looked up then and seemed genuinely surprised to see me. He smiled and said, "Hey. I didn't know you went here." Michelle looked between us curiously. I know I was probably supposed to call her Miss Adams, but she had introduced herself as Michelle so that's what I called her.

"Um, yeah. An…dad signed me up," I said, looking him directly in the eyes. Antonio had enrolled me as his daughter and said that Vera was my mother's name.

"You know each other?" Michelle asked softly. Addison was about to answer, but I cut him off.

"Yes, he's my brother's boyfriend," I said, hoping that she knew that Addison was gay. From both their impassive faces, she did, though this wasn't a surprise. Addison was so _obviously_ gay. "I didn't know he worked here since I got back from a long trip a few weeks ago." The lie came easily. I hated lying, but so many years of doing just that had made me quite adept at it. Addison didn't argue and Michelle seemed to accept this as true.

We spent the lesson working on the duet _Need You Know_ by Lady Antebellum. I wasn't surprised to learn that Addison was very talented. He was in Julliard after all. After singing class, I had dancing, which Addison also assisted in. As we walked to the classroom, he explained that he worked here at the academy part time because he wanted to have something more on his curriculum. He wanted to get into NYADA. The guy was ambitious, I'd give him that, but he seemed to love his work and that's what's important.

We walked into the dance studio to find most of the class already assembled. Unlike singing and piano lessons, this was a group class. Addison tugged me to follow him and I let him lead me across the room. As we passed by a group of guys, I heard their whispers of 'wow, she's hot'. I flushed and sat beside Addison by the sound system. I still had a hard time believing that I might actually be good-looking, but everyone at the house, with the exception of Max, had kept up a steady stream of beauty compliments since our group run the other day. I hated to admit that I was starting to believe them, though only a little. As I started changing into my dance shoes, a gift from Nick, of course, I looked over at the group of boys again and caught one looking at me. He had short curly, dark brown hair and beautiful chocolate coloured brown eyes. Alex, I think his name was, and he was very cute. I blushed at his stare, but my thoughts inevitably went to Reese. I sighed and concentrated on the teacher who walked in then.

Once my lessons were over, Addison invited me out for coffee. I accepted, but I wasn't really sure if it was the right decision. Did I trust him? A little, I'll admit. I wanted to trust him more, but he was Max's mate/boyfriend after all. Still, he seemed like a great guy. We chatted as we drank coffee and tea and he told me about his lessons at Julliard, again asking if I wanted to apply. Again, I said no. Now though, he'd seen me dance, heard me sing and play both the piano and the guitar, so he had more arguments to use against me. It didn't work. That didn't mean he didn't stop trying to convince me that I was excellent and so on. God, if I hadn't known that the others didn't know we were on speaking terms, I would have been sure that Nick, Noah and/or Reese had spoken to him and told him to be encouraging towards me.

Since it was late by the time we finished our coffee/tea, Addison invited me to lunch. By the time he walked me to my car, I was pretty sure he was a decent guy, but I would refrain from totally trusting him until further notice. It was a start though.

"Wow," he said when he spotted my car. "I bet Nick picked it out." I nodded. I now knew that my car was a Porsche Carrera GT and it was extremely expensive, but that's not something Addison would worry about. Reese had told me that he came from a wealthy family when I'd asked him about Addison, since I wasn't sure if I could trust him or his words. Now it seemed like I could.

I said my goodbyes to Addison, offering to take him home, though he refused, and I got into the car. I set up the GPS—yes, I had I GPS; New York is a very big city after all—and started my way home.

Was it odd for me to be trusting Addison? Yes, especially because he wasn't a werewolf, but I was making the extra effort. I wanted to fix things with Max and maybe Addison could help me with that, though I had yet to figure out how.

"I told you I wasn't a very good cook," I smiled to Noah as we tried to make dinner. He just chuckled and continued to work on the veggies. I desperately tried and, in my opinion, failed to make the sauce that was going to accompany them. "But I've been told I make good desserts," I said and heard laughter behind me.

"Well then, you better think of something to make for Antonio's birthday," Nick said as he came to stand beside me and watched what Noah and I were doing. I immediately stopped though. I stared at him. He chuckled again and said, "It's on Sunday." Meaning I only had three days left. Gee, thanks Nick. Then again, no one else had told me.

"And you're telling me this now because…?" I said, trailing off and raising my eyebrow. Nick laughed again. I still felt odd at times when I felt so free and was able to act and let my emotions show without repercussions. It felt good, but Nick, who had known me before I had started opening up, still laughed when I did something that I normally wouldn't have done two months ago.

"Don't worry. I'll take you shopping so you can get him something," he said with a smile. It took me less than a second to decide that that's not what I wanted.

"No. It's okay. I have a better idea," I said with a mischievous smile. Nick tried to get me to tell him what I had in mind, but I didn't give in. When he left, Noah gave me a thumbs up and didn't even ask me what I was going to do. I really liked him; he is such a good Pack brother and friend, and he was great at being both. I never thought a guy would have done what he did for me the other day, just to make me feel better and to help me accept myself. I wasn't there yet, but with his and everyone else's help, I might be, one day.

Once we'd had dinner, I immediately went into the music room. I sat down on the piano bench and thought. It didn't take me long to revise all the songs I knew and choose two. I couldn't sing here, so I only played the piano and decided that I could practice at the academy tomorrow before coming home.

Luckily, Michelle didn't come in the next day and I was alone with Addison. When I told him what I had in mind for Antonio's birthday, he set aside the lesson plans and helped me practice. At first, I'll admit that I felt a little uncomfortable to let Addison see me through my music, but he didn't judge me, at least, he didn't say so.

"The fact that you express yourself with your music should be the very reason for you to apply to Julliard, Kim," he said when the 'lesson' ended. I sighed so he could see that he wasn't getting to me, though he was. If I wasn't careful, he would end up convincing me.

As I drove home, I couldn't help but marvel at myself. Was this really me? Had it really been only two weeks since I had arrived to the Sorrentinos? It felt like I'd been here for a lifetime. I felt so at home, it was my home. Everything was almost perfect, except for one thing. Max. I could only pray that illusion graced me with an idea to gain his trust. I was happy for the first time in so many years. I had changed so much. I wasn't even the same girl that had arrived to Sorrentino Estate two weeks ago. The house, the people, the grounds, it all changed me, for the better. I was opening up to them, letting myself be me, allowing myself to have fun, to play, to bicker. It felt like family.

I knew that had it not been for the wolf in me, I probably wouldn't have ever trusted these people. But I had, since the wolf had recognized its protectors. Yes, it was all thanks to the wolf. She knew this was her family, her pack, this is where she belonged. But was it where the human belonged? It felt like it. No, Antonio wasn't my father, Nick, Noah and Reese weren't my brothers, not biologically, but that didn't mean I couldn't be part of their family. I didn't consider Max my brother, I couldn't with the state of our relationship and his non-acceptance of me. Maybe one day, though, he would be my brother. Antonio had invited me to join to his family, I had accepted, but I had never imagined that it would be like this. I felt so free. Had this really been what I needed? Somewhere to feel free and just be myself? If so, then my mother had done much more damage than I could have ever possibly imagined. And yet, I was healing.

The wolf had cured a few of the cracks back at Stonehaven, but now, here with the Sorrentinos, I could feel myself coming alive. Was I healed? Hell, no. I had a long road ahead of me. Fears and doubts still ruled through me, but I was gently pushing them back, just like I was doing with Max. One of my greatest fears, one of my greatest weaknesses, and yet I was able to live with him, a bully. I knew I was only able to stand up to him, to defend myself, because I felt so loved and protected. Would my years at high school have been better—if only slightly—if I had had at least one friend by my side? Possibly, but I would never know. There was no point in looking back though. I was happy now and healing thanks to the marvellous people around me. I only asked for Max's acceptance to make me truly happy.

Knowing that had I not been bitten, I would be in a very bad place right now, made me feel a little sadistic. I exchanged normalcy for a dangerous new life, though not willingly so. And yet, I had no regrets. If I could, I would let Turner bite me all over again. Was it sad that I had had to become a werewolf to be able to face my fears and start to heal? Probably, but I didn't care. Not anymore. I didn't care how I got here, what mattered was that I was here and actually enjoying life, not watching it pass by like I had done for the last decade.

I parked my car in the garage in my designated spot and was relieved to find that only Noah and Antonio were home. I was about to sing my heart out and would most likely end up crying. Nothing new for Antonio and I didn't care if Noah saw or heard. He had trusted me the other day so I would return the favour.

"Antonio," I called as I walked into the house. Immediately, he appeared out of his study and smiled at me. He asked me about my day like he always did, but I knew he could tell that I was nervous. I asked him to accompany me to the music room. I knew Noah would join us the moment he heard the music. He hadn't heard me sing yet and I'm sure his curiosity would make him come. Werewolves were naturally curious, after all.

I walked into the room and went over to sit by the piano bench. Antonio followed me in, closing the door behind him, and gazed at me curiously. I gestured for him to take a seat and he smiled, but I could see he was a little confused.

"I… I just wanted to give you your birthday present. I know it's not until Sunday, but I'd rather this be a private present," I said, my hands shaking with my nervousness. It wasn't easy to sing your soul away. "First of all, I wanted to say thank you."

"Sweetheart…," he started but I waved him off.

"I know you don't want my thanks, but I'm going to give it anyway. You've given me my life back, Antonio, and I… I'm so grateful," I whispered and the tears threatened, but I held them back. Now was not the time. Antonio made a move to get up, but I waved him back down. I took a deep breath and continued. "My gift to you is a song that represents who I am, who I've been for a long time. But thanks to you and Nick and everyone else, I'm slowly moving away from that person. The second song is one that, well, you'll see." He said nothing as I prepared myself. I took a deep calming breath and began with _Believe in Me_.

Antonio POV

I am not one for crying, but as I watched my princess sing with her heart in her hands, there was no way I could hold back the tears. I had known she was broken, there had never been any doubt, but this song ripped my heart out. By the time she reached the middle of the song, Noah entered the room. I didn't have the courage to send him away as he sat down beside me, taking my hand in his, comforting me. I squeezed his hand as we both watched Kim finish her song.

She then started a song that I knew well. I also knew that the song had originally been written for the author's father. That fact sent an ache into my heart that I hadn't felt in a while. Kim loved music and I knew she was singing both these songs because they both held meaning for her. Did she think of me as her father? I already thought of her as my daughter, but if she hadn't said anything yet, it was probably because of the father that had abandoned her. Learning that had filled me with rage, especially because Kim seemed to be so affected by it. And yet…here she was, singing a song written for a father to me, giving me her thanks for everything I had willingly given her without even realizing it. I had given her her life.

Kim POV

As I played the last note, it was impossible for me to hold back the tears any longer. Antonio rushed forward and instantly embraced me, lifting me off my seat and pulling me to him. I had glanced at him during my performance and had seen him crying. I had had to work very, very hard to hold the tears back then, so I kept my eyes on the keys or on the piano for the rest of the songs.

I numbly felt Noah take my hand in his and I squeezed it tight, pretty sure I was leaving it senseless. Some time later, Antonio let me go and Noah took me in his arms. Thank God for the wolves' physical closeness. Antonio rubbed circles into my back as I clung to Noah, still crying. It was so difficult to expose so much about me, but it had been worth it. For these two people around me, I had freed myself and they were embracing me. The father I had always wanted and my Pack brother. No, my _brother_. Noah was what a brother was truly supposed to be and I loved him like one, just like I loved Tonio as a father.

* * *

><p>I was so going to kill Nick. Whether he had done this to get at me for not letting him hear Antonio's gift yesterday or because he thought it was nice, I have no idea. Maybe the latter I decided as I studied my reflection in the full length mirror in my bedroom. Nick had come in here earlier and given me a package, barely giving me time to open it before he was out the door. Probably fearing my reaction. Still, I had to admit that the dress looked good, despite its deep v.<p>

I sighed and grabbed the Jimmy Choo's Nick had also brought in, despite the fact that I had at least a dozen other shoes that would go well with the dress, which had yet to be worn I might add. Still, I would remind Nick that it was December already and that this dress was not fit for the New York winter. But he hadn't been thinking about that when he got it, he was thinking what would look good and he didn't fail. It did look good and, thankfully, we would be indoors for most of the night.

I brushed a hand through my hair and winced as it caught in a knot, twisting my left wrist slightly. It was Reese's fault. The Danvers' family had come up earlier today for Antonio's birthday dinner, even though his birthday was tomorrow. Since Clay needed to keep up with my training, he'd fought me before lunch. After the meal, he made me fight Reese again. I lost. I was exhausted from fighting Clay and he somehow managed to hurt my wrist, but that didn't mean I didn't give it my best. Reese seemed to feel awful about hurting me, but I joked that it was payback for my kneeing him the other day. Clay seemed satisfied with my progress, as did the Alpha and the Alpha elect.

I glanced at myself one last time in the mirror, making sure that my waist length long hair wasn't doing anything odd, and left the room. As I reached the bottom step of the stairs, I followed the voices coming from the living room, though the twins' laughter was blocking out most of the conversation. From the sound of their laughter, they were playing with Max. I knew he was very fond of the kids and I had seen him playing with them. He seemed like a good Pack brother, just not with me. I almost slipped in the hallway because of the tights. I made it into the living room without further injuring myself and silence fell.

I flushed as everyone turned to look at me. I caught Reese's eye and immediately looked down at my feet. Nick's scent reached me as he wrapped an arm around me and I looked up at him shyly, his suit jacket dangling from his shoulder.

"I am so envious of your prom date right now," he said with his trademark smile. I looked down again, dread filling me.

"I didn't go to prom," I murmured, still staring at my feet. Did I really just say that? Now they would know that I had been the loner kid that no one had asked to prom. Suddenly, Reese appeared by my side, his scent engulfing me.

"Good. I didn't either," he said and I glanced up to see him smiling at me. My flush deepened, but I didn't look away. The suit looked so good on him.

"You look beautiful, Kim," Kate said as she bounced over to me. I smiled down at her and reached down to hug her.

"You look stunning, princess," Antonio whispered as we made our way to the car. I nodded with a smile, still too embarrassed to be able to speak.

The night was amazing. We all went out for dinner at some ridiculously expensive place, but the food was worth it. We laughed, we talked, we joked and it felt so good. I had _fun, _and lots of it. It was the first time that I felt like I was bonding with the Pack and not just its members. Kate clung to me for most of the night, drilling me on questions for her singing lessons and begging me to sing her a song. We ended up singing happy birthday. Reese also stuck with me for most of the night. He sat beside me at the large circular table that had been set out for us and kept me in deep conversation for the entire night, holding my hand under the table for the entire night. Max didn't even glare at me during the entire night. Of course, I doubt he would have tried with the Alpha present, so he steered clear for most of the night.

We got home late, but that didn't stop Noah, Reese and Max from playing a game of Halo, not even bothering to get out of their suits. Boys. I wasn't any better, though, since I joined them, happily discarding the heels by the front door. My feet were aching, but that didn't stop me from killing the guys. Some time later, Max fell asleep on the couch in front of me and Reese. Noah suggested moving him and going to bed, but Reese just shrugged and turned the TV off. He pulled me to him, lying us down on the sofa, and I didn't even have the strength to argue, not that I wanted to. He wrapped his arms protectively around me, letting his scent wash over me. I watched as Noah positioned himself on the couch before us, wrapping his arms protectively around Max as well. We were all asleep within minutes.

* * *

><p>"Stop," I gasped as Reese assaulted me with his tickle spree. He just chuckled and didn't relent.<p>

"Not until you tell me what you sang for Antonio," he whispered into my ear. He had been trying to coax it out of me since he found out that I had already given Antonio his gift. I knew Noah was suffering a similar onslaught from Nick as well. They were all just so damn curious. But I suppose that's what you get when you live with werewolves.

"Never," I breathed and pushed him off, rolling on top of him. I didn't notice that the bed abruptly ended there, though, and we fell to the ground, tumbling a few feet away before I pinned him under me. "Now do I get my questions answered?" I asked cheekily. He grinned mischievously up at me.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, still grinning. I smiled back. He tried to pull out of my grip then, probably thinking that he'd catch me off guard. No such luck. He mock-glowered at me, but I just chuckled.

"Why didn't you go to prom?" I asked.

"Home-schooled," he grinned. Oh, right. He had lived in the Outback after all, so this made sense. "What about you? Why didn't you go?" he asked now. I don't know what look crossed my face then, but it made Reese say, "Forget it, its okay. You don't have to tell me." I only hesitated for a split second before speaking.

"No one asked me," I said, trying to hide the pain that fact caused me. He shifted under me and I saw the familiar tenderness in his eyes he normally had when speaking with me.

"That's their loss then and my gain," he whispered. I stared at him and then smiled. I really didn't want to linger on the past.

"Tell me how you do that move on Halo," I said, veering far away from painful subjects. The smile he sent up to me made my breath catch.

"Never," he grinned and yanked, now catching me off guard. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me down to him. The air suddenly left my body as I fell on top of him, winding him as well. I lay statue still as I felt him nuzzle his nose into my neck, a very wolf-like gesture. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of his musky scent.

I heard my door open and then heard Nick call, "Kim?" I had to bite back my growl at the interruption. I mentally flinched as I realized that my wolf was close at hand if I had been about to growl at Nick. Damn it. I took a moment to calm down, taking one more deep breath, before lifting myself off of Reese. I didn't look at him as I sat up, straddling him, and looked over at Nick. He eyed me curiously, probably wondering what I was doing hiding behind my bed. "Um, have you seen Reese?" he asked, though I knew he'd rather ask about my odd behaviour. Reese sighed under me and I quickly got up, now feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Did you want something, Nick?" Reese asked lowly once he was standing beside me. Surprise flashed on Nick's face when he saw Reese, but he quickly hid it with an amused smile.

"Um, yeah, would you mind coming down to help with dinner?" he asked. Nick kept his gaze on Reese as he asked this, but I didn't dare look at Reese. Great, another dominance contest. Damn werewolf men. I wasn't any better, though. It took Reese five entire seconds before he answered with a gruff 'yeah, okay' and left with Nick, sending me a small smile from the door.

I stood where Reese had left me and tried to order my thoughts. My wolf had definitely been close at hand a moment ago and that was not good. My wolf was still very touchy around Reese and I needed to gain some control over her or I'm sure I would end up doing something very stupid and very regrettable.

I sighed and made my way downstairs as well, wanting to speak with Antonio. It had been three days since his birthday dinner and I felt that it was finally time to talk about Max with him. We hadn't had any further encounters—which was a relief—, but I wanted things to be okay between us. I figured it was high time to ask Antonio's opinion on what I could do to get Max to trust and accept me.

I neared Antonio's study and realized that something was wrong. Addison was standing with his back to me and his ear was pressed against the door. I swallowed my growl and tapped him on the shoulder since he obviously hadn't heard me. He spun around, fear clearly etched on his face until he saw me. He let out a soft sigh of relief and then motioned for me to listen. I frowned at him. Eavesdropping was forbidden and even so, I had always hated it. You always hear things you really wish you had never heard. I was about to pull him away from the door when I heard my name coming from within the study.

"Maximus, I love Kim like I love you, so no," I heard Antonio say calmly. Why was Max talking about me with Antonio? Had I somehow pissed him off again or had he had the same brain wave as me?

"Dad, this is all just me trying to accept her," Max said. Okay, I really needed to stop listening before I regretted it. Too late.

"Max, I regret bringing her here sometimes, yes. I regret it because, son, I don't believe you were ready for this. You seem incapable of getting along with her so I sometimes regret it," Antonio said. I stiffened and Addison stared at me wide-eyed. No. He didn't just say that, did he? I heard Antonio continue to speak, but I wasn't listening and was already making my way up the stairs by then. I reached my door, my vision blurred as the tears fell. I grabbed the handle, but didn't open it. Antonio had said he loved me. Would he have changed his mind in the last few days? No, I couldn't believe that. He hadn't meant it. I was sure of it. But if he had…

I spun around and made my way back downstairs. Even if he had meant it, I would talk to him about it. I didn't like the situation with Max anymore than he did. If there was no possible way to fix the problem between us, I would leave. There was no other way out if Max couldn't and wouldn't accept me.

I walked into the foyer to see Addison slipping into his shoes and putting on his coat. Max was with him and he turned when he heard me coming down the stairs, glaring at me furiously and then looking back at Addison.

"Stop," Addison growled. "Did you see what you just did? Kim came down the stairs and you glared at her for no fucking reason, Max. I'm sick and tired of you treating her like shit. I heard the talk you had with your dad, we both did," he said now. I choked on a whimper at his words. He was defending me? He could be trusted after all. Max stared at me and Addison clearly bewildered.

"This isn't about you, Adds," Max said. Addison narrowed his eyes, but Max held his gaze. Good God, they were having a dominance match and Addison wasn't even a werewolf.

"No, it's not. It's about your sister, and she is your sister, that you treat like shit every day because you feel like it, Max. I can't take it anymore," Addison said and I instantly wanted to be invisible. They were having a couple fight about me and I was standing here like an idiot. I couldn't walk away, though. My legs refused to obey my brain right then, the sadness that still filled me blocking the connection between motor and extremity.

"Just forget about it, Addison," Max said. Addison shook his head and Max tried to reach for him, but he just backed away, shaking his head again.

"No, I can't. Max, you're not the person I thought you were. You're mean and you hurt people and that is not the kind of guy I want to date. I miss your loving side but I have hardly seen it lately. You're just not the person I fell for, Max. I don't want to be with you anymore," Addison said now. The look of pain that crossed Max's face felt like a punch to the stomach. What have I done?

"No, we're...," Max started to say, but Addison cut him off. Max's eyes filled with tears then and mine were fast approaching. This couldn't be happening. This was all my god damned fault.

"Mates?" he asked, his frustration showing. "I don't care if you think I'm your mate or not, Max. I am not a werewolf and I don't play by Pack rules. I'm done and so is this relationship. If you decided to change and you apologize to Kim then you can come and apologize to me. We can be friends," Addison said and then turned to me, nodding, before abandoning the house with a slammed door. I stood there shock still as I watched Max crumble. Guilt rushed through me like a bush fire.

"Max," I said tentatively, stepping forward. I had no idea what to say to him. What could I say? More importantly, should I say anything? Max growled at me and stormed out of the house, running after Addison. Just then Antonio came running into the foyer and took me in his arms.

"Princess, why are you crying?" he asked softly. I was crying? I hadn't even noticed. I pulled away from him, shaking my head at the floor.

"I heard what you said. You regret bringing me here," I whispered, my voice cracking on the last word. A howl pierced the silence suddenly, Max's howl, and it was full of pain. I glanced up at Antonio and saw that he had a pained look on his face. He hesitated for a brief moment before rushing out the door. I stood where he left me, not even trying to move.

Max had lost his mate because of me. He hated me. I should never have come here. Even Antonio regretted bringing me here because of my relationship with Max. This was all my fault. I shouldn't be here. I should have stayed at Stonehaven. A moment later, Antonio appeared in the doorway, half carrying Max. He appeared conflicted for a moment and I knew he wanted to come and comfort me despite his regrets. Just because he regretted bringing me here, it didn't mean that he didn't love me. Suddenly, Reese appeared from down the hall and the moment he saw my tears, he ran at me and embraced me fiercely. I hesitated at his touch, but gave in. I needed him. I inhaled deeply, letting his scent fill me, and felt slightly more relaxed. I shifted my head so I could look at Max, but for once he didn't glare at me. In his eyes, I only found the sadness of a thousand men in one small boy.

"Come on, sweetheart," Antonio said softly as he led Max up the stairs. "Kim, honey, I'll be with you as soon as I can and, sweetie, I have no regrets, none," he said gently. I nodded, uncertain if I believed him, and he left with Max.

Sobs took over my body then and Reese squeezed me against him. Without warning, Reese let me go and bent down, sweeping me off me feet. I couldn't even bother wondering about the closeness that this gave us. I nuzzled my tear filled face into his neck as he carried me up the stairs, somehow managing to open the door without his hands, and falling onto the bed with me, all with graceful movements. I sat curled up against him as he held me still, having never let me go. I breathed in deeply, his scent affecting me like a horse tranquilizer, and within minutes I was breathing normally again and the tears had stopped falling.

"Kim," he said softly. Before I could respond, the door to my room opened and I looked up to see Nick and Noah come into my room. They walked over to us and sat down beside us without a word.

"Tell us what happened, sweetie," Nick said. I nodded and pulled away from Reese, though he didn't let me go. I managed to tell them what I overheard Max and Antonio say and what I witnessed as Max and Addison fought because of me, all without shedding a tear. I knew this was both because of Reese's scent and his presence.

"He didn't mean it, hon," Nick said gently, taking my hand in his. "He only said it because Max is pushing him to the limit of his patience. He doesn't regret bringing you here, he would never. He loves you, Kim, and couldn't be any happier that you're here. We are all happy that you're here. Antonio loves you, we all do." Noah nodded his agreement and I felt Reese do the same against my shoulder as he leaned into me. Even Reese's scent couldn't stop the tears that poured right then. They loved me? Noah took my hand then as Reese continued to hold on to me with his arms wrapped around my waist.

"And it's not your fault that Max and Addison fought, Kim. He's had it coming from the moment you arrived. He needs to learn to accept," Noah said. I shook as the emotions ran through me. These guys were just so amazing. As if they had planned it, Nick and Noah leaned forward and hugged Reese and me, forming a group hug. I chuckled softly and suddenly felt myself calm down. No, this wasn't my fault. Noah's right, as always. Still, I needed to fix this, but I had no idea how or if I even could.

Antonio's POV

I opened the door to her room without calling. I walked in to see her with her back to the door, curled up against Reese who was holding her tight. He lifted his gaze to mine and I saw the wolf lurking in them. I let my wolf come forth, trying to force Reese's down. It took longer than it normally would have. Reese and his wolf were very protective of Kim, as they should be since she was their mate. Though, she had yet to realize it or accept it. So, technically, that means that she still isn't his and while she isn't, she is under my protection and Reese knows that.

I walked over to them and sat on the bed. Kim didn't move, she was sound asleep in Reese's arms. The phrase 'fallen head over heels' was an understatement when it came to these two. Though Reese has accepted his feelings for Kim, he still thought that Kim didn't feel the same way. Clearly not true.

"How is she?" I whispered. It took him a moment before he muttered an 'okay', making his protectiveness ever so evident. I knew this was all new to him as well. Werewolves are naturally protective, but more so when it comes to mates. Reese knew what it was, Kim did not, I think.

"I don't want her to get hurt, Antonio," he said softly. I had to bite back my anger at this. Didn't he think that I didn't want her hurt either? Of course he did, but he was as frustrated as me about the situation.

"I don't either, kiddo. I'll have to think of something. Max just isn't cooperating," I whispered and he nodded his agreement. What I could do about Max now, though, was beyond me. He was so upset about Addison that it broke my heart to see him, but by god, that kid was never coming near my son again. Unfortunately, I have to admit that Addison did have reason to be pissed with Max, but maybe this could help Max try and make an effort with Kim. I just had to make sure he didn't sink into a depression because of this.

"Antonio," Reese said softly, calling my attention. When he had it, he said, "I don't know what to do." He didn't have to explain. I knew what he was confused about. He had breached the subject with Nick as well.

"Have you talked to her about it?" I asked, knowing full well what the answer was. He shook his head with a pained look on his face.

"I don't want to scare her. I'm not sure if she would understand. She's only been a werewolf for two months…," he trailed off as he bent his head down to rest it on Kim's. I nodded my agreement. Yes, this was probably the reason that Kim hadn't accepted Reese for who he was. She was scared of the way he made her feel.

"Give her time, Reese. When she's ready, she'll come to you," I said. He shook his head slightly.

"No, she…," he trailed off, took a deep breath and added, "I just don't understand. I saw her and then the wolf…" And then the wolf chose. No one understood why, it just was.

"There's something you should know, Reese," I said, making a split second decision to tell him. He had the right to know and hopefully, if he knew, he would be able to help her more. "Kim wasn't always like this, so open and free. She has changed a lot from when we first met. She was… Well, I suppose you could say like a closed book. She didn't want to let anyone in, but her wolf made her, for her own protection." Reese just stared at me. Kim had evolved greatly in her two weeks here, but it was nothing compared to the way she had changed during her time at Stonehaven. "However, you were the first one she ever sang to, the first one she felt free with." The look on his face sent a small ache to my chest. Boy, did he love her.

"Thank you," he whispered, keeping his eyes on me, but giving his submission without any coaxing. I nodded and took my leave.

As I walked into the hallway, I heard Noah's voice coming from Max's room. I had left when he had fallen asleep, but if Noah was with him then he had obviously woken up. It no longer surprised me that Noah was the one trying to cheer people up. He was a good person, despite the neglect he suffered at his mother's hands, just like Max I suppose. Who would have thought that such great people could have come out of situations like the ones they both went through? Max had problems, but he was a good person at heart. I just needed to get Kim to see it, but even if she did, I needed Max to accept her. That is if he didn't sink into a depression first.


	18. Ch 18 Underdog

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Aftermath Part 2. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt _and_ Challenge.

**Loser Like Me – Glee**

Yeah, you may think that I'm a zero  
>But hey everyone you wanna be<br>Really started off like me  
>You may say that I'm a freak show (I don't care)<br>But hey give it just a little time  
>I bet your gonna change your mind<p>

All of the dirt you've been throwing my way  
>It ain't so hard to take, that's right<br>Cause I know one day you'll be screaming my name  
>And I'll just look away, that's right<br>Just go ahead and hate on me, run your mouth  
>So everyone can hear<br>Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down  
>Baby I don't care<br>Keep it up and soon enough  
>You've made your all?<br>You wanna be, you wanna be  
>A loser like me, a loser like me<p>

You push me up against the locker  
>And hey all I do is shake it off<br>I'll getcha back when I'm your boss  
>I'm not thinking bout you haters<br>Cause hey I could be a superstar  
>I'll see you when you wash my car<p>

Ch 18 Underdog

Kim's POV

I wanted to fix things. No, I needed to fix things. Even if it wasn't my fault, I still felt terrible about what had happened. Addison hadn't appeared for almost two weeks and Max was slowly falling into a depression and, according to Antonio, he was regressing. Not much, but enough to worry everyone. He wasn't even glaring at me as much as he used to.

Addison wasn't any better off than Max. Though I didn't see him at the house, I saw him at the academy. He tried to be funny and quirky in class, like he normally was, trying to be a good teacher, but it was no use. I could see the pain and sadness behind his eyes. I'd tried to talk to him, but he would have none of that. We talked about music and the lessons, but nothing about Max, he couldn't. When I looked at Addison and Max, I saw what it felt like to lose a mate. I needed to fix this, but I had idea how.

Suddenly, my phone rang from beside me as I read in the living room. "Hey, Tonio," I answered, having read the name on caller ID.

"Hello, princess. How was your day?" he asked, and I could hear him moving in the background, walking on an echoing floor.

"Same as always. Um, aren't you supposed to be driving home?" I asked innocently. I heard him sigh softly.

"Yes, but I got held up, that's why I'm calling you, sweetheart. I was supposed to pick Max up today, but I can't make it. I know it's a lot to ask, but would you mind—?"

"Of course not," I cut him off. It was a downright lie, though, so I was thankful that he was kilometres away and couldn't smell it. Somehow being locked in a two-seater with Max was not my idea of fixing things, but I wouldn't say that. Antonio was asking me for a small favour in return for all he had given me. How could I say no?

I signed off and lifted myself off the couch. I'd been reading for over an hour, losing myself in the wonderful world of _Alagaesia_. For the first time in years, I could read because I wanted to and not because it was my only means of escape from my reality. Books had been my saviours for years, distracting me from the world around me, just like physics, mathematics and chemistry did while I was at school.

I drove well above the speed limit as I made my way to Max's school. As a werewolf, I've discovered the delights of velocity. When I had been human, I had hated motorbikes. Death machines I'd called them. But seeing Nick's dirt bikes in the garage incited my curiosity as to how fast they could go. Considering I hated speed and velocity before, this new part of me just fascinated me.

As I entered the parking lot, I saw Max on the steps of the school, talking to a group of guys that were much, much larger than him. No, not talking, arguing. Oh, shit. I quickly parked the car and flew out of it, racing towards where Max was, which was now a ring of people. I pushed a girl aside, receiving an unimaginative insult in return, and saw a hideously ugly guy that was built like a brick shithouse try to punch Max, but he just ducked out of the way. I sprang forward, ordering a firm, "Max, no," as I caught his arm in mid swing.

"Kim," he growled when he looked at me. I gave him a look, letting my wolf peek out so he'd know I wasn't playing around, and let go. I then reached down and picked up his bag, shoving it towards him. I didn't mean to be rough, but I had suddenly realized who the dick was, or, to be more exact, what he was. He was a bully and a big one at that.

I turned to face the god ugly idiot and stood up to a school bully for the first time in my life. "Leave him alone. Take out your fucking lack of confidence on someone else," I said firmly, letting my wolf peek out slightly, but keeping her under perfect control. I didn't even give him time to take in my words before I spun around and took Max's arm, hauling him to the car. Just a few feet away from where he had been standing, I found a text book lying in the mud. Max's scent was clearly recognizable on it, despite the mud that now covered it. Was this what had started the fight? I kept my questions to myself and just picked up the book without a word.

"Get in," I ordered as we reached the car. I heard him sigh, but he obeyed, like I knew he would. I was older than him therefore he would obey me, no matter how much he wished he didn't have to. I climbed in with him and tore out of the lot without a word.

I gripped the steering wheel firmly as I drove down the road that led home, trying desperately to keep the hot boiling rage from taking over. If it did, it would also unleash the wolf. I understood why I felt like this, I wasn't stupid. Not only did the scene I had just witnessed make me relive some of my most painful and humiliating memories, but those idiots, those bullies, had been picking on my Pack brother. This infuriated the wolf. We might not get along, but I still felt the need, that _instinct_, to protect those younger than me in the Pack, and that included Max. And those people, all those people, had just stood by and watched as if it was normal. Was it normal? Was this the first time that Max was assaulted by that dickhead? God, I hoped so. I'd hate to think what the repercussions would be if they had fought before.

Suddenly, it all became just too much and I pulled over. I placed my forehead against the steering wheel and tried to calm my raging emotions, still holding the wheel in a death grip. The wolf was fighting for control; she wanted to seek revenge, to kick those guys' asses for being the bastards that they were. I breathed in deeply and wished that Reese was here so his scent could calm me down. No, it was better that he wasn't here. There would be hell to pay if he was.

"Ah, Kim," Max said, his impatience clear in his voice. I took one last deep, composing breath before turning to face him. He was looking at me curiously, studying me, probably trying to figure me out. As the wolf and rage subsided, other emotions took over. Pain and hurt.

"Max, you can't lose control. You can't, you know that," I said, trying to be the older Pack sister I knew I was supposed to be. I tried to keep a neutral face, so he wouldn't see the warring emotions within me. And warring they were. Max stiffened at my words and crossed his arms over his chest defensively, glaring at me.

"Why don't you save the lecture and just take me home so dad can yell at me, okay? Besides, you don't know anything about being bullied," he said. He had no idea what that last sentence meant to me. If anyone knew about being bullied, that was me. I had suffered so much because of it that I had come so close to just ending it. Thankfully, just days later, I met Abbey.

"First of all, Max, I'm not going to tell your dad and, second of all, you can at least show me a little respect. I'm a human being and a Pack member," I said and paused before speaking again, but softly now, desperately trying to hide the pain the next words caused me. "Plus, I've had my fair share of being bullied." He stared at me wide-eyed, probably shocked by both my statements about not telling Antonio and about being bullied.

"You can't have been bullied, you're little Miss Perfect. Never getting into trouble with dad or the Pack and always doing what you're told," he shot back. I bit back a growl and narrowed my eyes. He had no fucking idea, none.

"You don't know anything about me, Max, so don't you dare pretend you do. You have no right to accuse me of being perfect," I growled. He stared at me wide-eyed. Shit. Get the anger under control, Kim. I took a deep breath once again, forcing calm into my body, despite the pain that his words had caused me. Me perfect? In what universe?

"Well, you seem like it," he said softly. I gave him a look and then sighed. He obviously hadn't been paying attention to me.

"I'm not, Max. I've had my fair share of problems too, okay? I've been bullied for most of my life and I'm still dealing with the consequences," I said softly, looking away from him to hide the hurt. Why was I sharing my bullying with Max when I hadn't even talked to Antonio about it? Simple, he needed my help and I would help him, no matter how much pain it caused me. "My lack of confidence for starters, something we seem to have in common," I added after a moment. I glanced at him to see him scoff.

"I don't have a confidence problem," he said, crossing his arms and looking at me. I gave him an exasperated look then. Oh yes, he did. He was a bully as well, even if he hadn't realized it yet, and all bullies had the same thing in common. Confidence, or lack there of.

"Max, what is the Pack always telling you? You're mistaking confidence for arrogance. They always tell you to stop being arrogant. Max, face it. You think you're better and smarter than most people and that makes you seem confident, but it's not confidence, it's arrogance," I said. His jaw dropped as he stared at me wide-eyed again. At least he seemed to be thinking my words over. Yes, the sad truth is that I knew why bullies were bullies. I just hadn't had the guts to do anything about it. Neither had anyone else.

"I never thought of it that way before I guess," Max said eventually. I smiled slightly. Yeah, it's a hard thing to admit I suppose.

"Max, you've got a confidence problem and that's why that asshole keeps picking on you. He sees you as easy bait and bullies you to alleviate some of his own confidence problems. I can help you in the future. I don't want what happened to me to happen to you because I know you've had it rough already," I said gently, mentally wincing at my own words, but Max just nodded. Easy bait, that's what I had been in high school. An underdog they had always expected to screw up, to fail, and that had notched my lack of confidence to a whole new level of low. My lack of confidence which had already been forced on by my mother, by the continental relocation, by my stepfather, by my new school… All of that had led me to be easy pickings for those higher up in the high school food chain that were dying to alleviate some of their own pain, not giving a shit about the damage they would cause to others.

"If you feel like you can't handle it, just come to me. Tonio doesn't have to know about this or your problems at school," I promised, not entirely certain that he'd take me up on it. "I'm not going to tell him because I think you just had a lapse in judgement and you deserve a second chance and because it would hurt Antonio. I don't want to hurt Tonio," I said, knowing that I was lying to Max by omission. I didn't want to hurt Antonio and I was too much of a coward to talk about my problems. But I would make the effort with Max if he wanted to talk about it or needed my help. I would not let him be destroyed by these people, nor would I let him lose control and do something that would definitely hurt Antonio.

"So, you're not going to tell?" he asked. I shook my head and he grinned. I stared at him surprised. This was the first time that he was actually grinning my way and it wasn't a fake or cruel smile, it was a real one. I smiled back, but I'm not quite sure I managed it. Pain and rage still roared through me. It's a wonder he didn't smell it. "Why?" he asked suddenly, but I'd expected this question. After all, it was the same one I had asked a thousand times over back at Stonehaven when I was first bitten. Why did they want to help me? Because it was the right thing to do and they wanted to help, no strings attached. I hadn't totally believed them then, but now I knew that they had been honest with me.

"Because again, I don't want to hurt Antonio and I know you can control yourself. You just have to stay calm. That guy is a jerk and if you react to what he says or does, he will continue to search for a reaction," I said as calmly as possible. This had been one of my major mistakes at first. No, I didn't fight back, but their words got to me, more than they should have, and it broke me down on several occasions before I finally managed to gain some control over the tears and wait the pain out until I was alone.

"But how can you be so sure?" he asked uncertainly. He had no idea what I went through, but I knew how bullies functioned now, so I knew how to handle them. The knowledge had cost me greatly, though.

"I've been there before, Max. I know what's going on and I know how to deal with it," I said and he nodded, accepting this.

"Thanks, Kim, and I'm sorry about treating you like shit. If you keep your word about this, I will definitely trust you," he said. It took a moment for his words to register and then I grinned. I had somehow managed to gain his trust and all because he was being bullied. Jeez, the higher powers were sadistic.

"It's okay, Max. Antonio explained it takes a long time for you to trust and like people so I kind of expected it," I said, leaving out the part that I hadn't expected to be bullied in my own home. I was willing to forgive and forget, though. He seemed to be genuinely sorry.

"Still, I'll make it up to you, especially if you keep your word," he said. I just shrugged and put the car in motion again. He had said sorry and looked it, and that was enough for me. I then asked him what about his favourite book in an attempt to get to know him. He eagerly replied and asked questions of his own. In no time at all, we were chatting and laughing our way home. He wasn't the same Max that I normally saw laughing and playing with the twins or his brothers, but it was a start.

Well, this was unexpected and to be honest, a little surreal. I'm pretty sure that when he woke up this morning, Max really hated me. But now he was talking like there was no tomorrow. I suppose part of his happiness had something to do with the fact that now that we were on 'good' terms, he could go see Addison and fix things between them. Still, he said that he would trust me if I kept my word, which I fully intended to do, so maybe he would do more than just accept me like he had just done.

I had trusted him. I didn't even think it through, I just did. Just like when I met Abbey and I made the first move towards friendship. This is what it felt like. I gave a piece of me, a big piece of me, in return for his trust. I'd needed to trust him so he could trust me. This is what Antonio had done with me back at Stonehaven. He had slowly opened up his life to me and I had returned the favour, though I still left aspects of my life hidden from him, as I still did. And now I was going to lie to him. I hated to do this, I really did, but the alternative was telling him what had happened, hurting him and Max. Then I would be forced to tell him about my own past. I know he wouldn't make me tell him, but I would feel the need to tell him, to explain, to just get it out. But I couldn't, it hurt too much. I was willing to withstand that pain, however, to help Max with his problems. If we did this right, Antonio would never need to know anything.

The ride home seemed short to me, but that was probably because I was laughing my head off as we entered the garage. So was he. We walked into the kitchen to find Antonio preparing dinner, still chatting and laughing. He looked over at us with a raised eyebrow, gaping at us. I hid my unease as I took a seat on one of the kitchen stools. I hadn't thought about how we were going to explain our tolerating one another to the others. After a moment, he went back to his cooking, obviously perturbed with our behaviour. I honestly couldn't blame him since I kind of felt the same way.

"Hey, bambinos, what's going on?" he asked, preferring not to question the current situation. I guess he was afraid to ask in case it broke the illusion. It wasn't an illusion, though. Max looked over at me and grinned. I just shrugged and took an apple from the counter.

"Nothing, Tonio," I laughed, unable to stop myself from giggling a little as his gaze shifted between us. Technically, I was lying and I'm sure he knew it, but he preferred not to say anything. I was eternally grateful for that.

Reese walked into the kitchen just then and froze in his tracks. Max had come to sit beside me as we watched Tonio make dinner. He looked between me and Max, trying to find anger and waiting for the non-existent argument to ensue. I smiled at him and he relaxed a bit, but still seemed to be on alert. As protective as always. I mentally sighed at this.

I got up and went over to him, taking his hand and leading him from the kitchen. Over the last two weeks I had been so accustomed to him that I was now willingly taking his hand as much as he was taking mine. The night of Max and Addison's fight, he'd stayed with me, holding me against him as we slept in my bed. I'd woken up slightly confused at finding someone in my bed that wasn't Antonio, but it hadn't been weird. It should have been, but it wasn't. Since then he'd been continually telling me that the fight wasn't my fault and trying to make me feel better.

"It's okay," I said as I walked him into the music room. "Max and I aren't fighting anymore." He stood in front of me, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his eyebrow, clearly disbelieving my words. I sighed out loud now.

"Come on, Kim. Really? You expect me to believe that everything's okay after a month of war?" he said. I gave him a look.

"Yes," I said and softly added, "If you trust me." He flinched at that and immediately dropped his arms.

"I do and you know that. But Max… How exactly did you fix this? If he went to you seeking forgiveness, Kim, it might just be a trick to get Addison back," he said. Anger filled me and I growled lowly at him and he immediately submitted, making me cringe. That's not what I'd wanted.

"Look, just trust me, okay? Everything's fine, I promise," I said gently, touching his arm. He studied me, looking for a telltale sign that I was lying. Just then, Antonio called us for dinner. Reese took a moment more before nodding and taking my hand, guiding me to the dining room.

Dinner was a silent affair as it normally was. We were always too focused on our food to bother with speaking. An animal's basic needs had to be fulfilled before moving on to human needs. After the meal, I went to the games room with Reese and Noah and we started playing Uncharted. We'd been playing for about an hour, slaughtering all oncoming opponents, when Antonio called us for a family meeting. We glanced at each other, unnerved. A family meeting meant we had to discuss something important, or so Antonio had told me since I had yet to attend to one, until now that is.

"Why are we having a family meeting, dad?" Nick asked once we had all gathered in the living room. I looked at Antonio like everyone else, but he just shrugged and looked at Max. I turned to look at him and frowned. He wasn't about to tell everyone what had happened, was he?

"I called this meeting because I have a lot of explaining to do to everyone," Max said and then he looked at me. "I haven't been easy in the last month," he said and glanced over at Reese beside me. "Ok, I've been more than difficult. I want to apologize. I have been challenging, rude, disrespectful, disobedient and I've lied, talked back and hurt more than a few feelings. I want to apologize for making everyone's life hell," he said. Reese growled suddenly and Max immediately submitted to him.

"Why don't you apologize to Kim? You made her life hell and you hurt her feelings a lot more than anyone else's," Reese growled and Max nodded to this. I spun on Reese and growled lowly at him. He backed down, but he continued to watch Max. For once, I didn't feel bad about his submission. He didn't need to be so rude; I had already told him that Max and I were okay.

"You're right. I have apologized to her, but a small apology will not do. I've hurt you so much and it will take so much more than just me saying sorry. I will show you with my actions that I trust you and I accept you as Pack and that I am truly sorry. I am also going to make a gesture to show you how much I do mean this," he said and walked over to his dogs. I was about to protest that I didn't need or want any gesture at all, that his apology was more than enough, when he picked up his dogs and walked over to me.

"To show you I'm serious about everything I want to give you something, two some things, that mean more to me than almost anything. Brick and Aiden are now your dogs. I'll still take care of them if you want me to, but they can sleep with you and be your dogs," he said and dropped the dogs onto my lap.

I stared at the dogs, shocked by Max's actions. I understood the magnitude of them, though. He had just given me his property, something not many werewolves would do, at least not willingly. He was really trying to amend his ways. Had he realized whom he had resembled for the past month? I hoped so, but still, this wasn't what I needed. I already had what I needed, his apology, and that was enough. I heard Antonio say something to Max, but I kept my eyes on the dogs. They were so cute. I knew they could be around werewolves because they had been brought to the house when they were puppies so they were used to our scent. I felt tears prickle my eyes, but I held them back. God, I was way too emotional sometimes, but I guess that's what happens when you bottle up your feelings for years.

"Max," I said softly, still trying to recover from my surprise and surge of emotion. He was such a sweet boy, but he had been such an ass to me. I suddenly got up and placed the dogs on the floor gently as I assaulted Max with a fierce hug. Antonio had said that he normally didn't like being touched by strangers or people he wasn't accustomed to, but I couldn't care less right then. I was just so grateful. To my surprise, he hugged me back after a moment's hesitation. The flood waters came since I was no longer capable of holding them in. I pulled back then and held Max in front of me. "Thank you so much, Max. I appreciate and accept your apology and I know everything will be okay. I can't take your dogs, though, they are yours," I said softly and gestured towards the dogs. I couldn't have them. It just wasn't right. I could see the longing in his eyes as he looked at his dogs, but he tried to hide it when he turned back to me.

"I want you to have them, Kim; they will make you feel better when things go badly. Trust me," he said, glancing back at his dogs, the longing in his eyes undeniable. I mentally sighed at his insistence. He was so stubborn.

"Tell you what, they can be both of ours if you really want them to be, but they will still stay with you," I said, since I knew from our brothers that there was no changing his mind when it was made up. He grinned at my words and nodded eagerly. I smiled as well, liking the feel of having made him happy.

"That sounds good," he smiled and I grinned back. "Want to play Uncharted?" he asked now. My smile broadened and I nodded. He then held out his arm in a loop in worldwide renowned gesture. I smiled and took his arm without thinking. If he was offering physical contact and to play video games with me, I was definitely not going to turn it down. He led me from the room and I'm pretty sure everyone behind us was wide-eyed and open-mouthed. I know I would be if I wasn't smiling so much.

"You've got to be kidding me," Noah groaned some time later as he watched Max and me pass the third arena in a row with the difficulty set at very hard. Max and I soon realized that we worked well as a team, at least in the video game world. Reese and Noah had joined us in the games room shortly after we'd started up the game. For the last few hours, they had both been shooting Max and me weird looks. I knew they didn't understand and for now it was going to stay that way.

I handed my controller over to Noah so he could play with Max for a while, just when Antonio appeared in the doorway and beckoned me out. I walked over to him and he slid an arm around my shoulder, leading me away from the room, down the hall and into his study. As soon as we were inside, he embraced me with both his arms in a bone-cracking hug which I happily returned. After overhearing his regret about bringing me here, he'd spoken to me, asking for forgiveness, but there had been nothing to forgive. He'd made a mistake and I'd overheard it. I learned my lesson, though. No more eavesdropping.

"Thank you," Antonio whispered into my hair. I shook my head and pulled back.

"It wasn't me. It just…happened and I'm glad it did," I said and Tonio grinned down at me, nodding. I knew the situation with Max had been getting at him, but I'd had no idea how to even begin winning Max's trust. Who'd have thought it would be because of a bully? And who would have thought I would have opened up, if only slightly, about my own bullying to my resident bully? Yep, the higher powers, or the universe, or whoever, was really, really sadistic. Or perturbed.

"Princess," he said as he sat me on the couch next to him, "you should know that what Max did isn't very common and it's not just because he's a werewolf. For him to have willingly offered his dogs to you is a very selfless act on his behalf. Not that he doesn't think of others, but normally when he dislikes someone, it stays that way. He has never turned around so radically before. To be honest, even I'm a little surprised by all this. His puppies were the first beings he ever loved," he finished with a smile. I nodded and frowned at the carpet, letting his words sink in. So his actions were more important than I had originally thought. Max really wanted us to be okay; he wanted us to be friends, to be real Pack brother and sister. And he was trying to prove all this with the gift that were his puppies. A selfless act, giving away the first beings he had learned to love. Wait, what?

"What do you mean by 'the first beings he learned to love'?" I asked before thinking the question through.

"Remember how he hasn't always lived with me? Before that, he received little or no love. He didn't know what it was or what it felt like. With his puppies, he felt love for the first time, well, the first time he recognized it, just like with the twins," Antonio answered without missing a beat. I made a split second decision and got up abruptly.

"Can you come to the music room and bring Nick, please?" I asked. He looked confused by my reaction, but nodded and followed me out of the room. I went straight back to the games room while Antonio went the other way in search of Nick.

"Guys," I said, calling their attention as I walked into the games room. They all looked up at me curiously, probably wondering why they could smell nervousness streaming off of me.

"What's wrong?" Reese asked, standing, looking as if he were ready for battle. He stole a glare towards Max, but quickly looked back at me. If I hadn't been so nervous, I would have growled at him for thinking Max had something to do with my nervousness, despite the fact that he hadn't even left the room. I sighed and shook my head at him.

"N-nothing. Um, would you guys mind coming to the music room for a moment?" They nodded and immediately got up, following me down to the music room. I should probably be doing this only for Max, but I knew my family deserved this as well. Antonio had been the first, but I needed them all to hear this. They would probably glimpse the broken me that was hidden deep within me, slowly healing over the course of time, but I didn't care. If I wanted to truly be accepted, they needed to hear this.

I reached the door at the same as Antonio and Nick did, but they let me in first. I strode in and went straight to the piano bench. No one said a word as they all trooped in and I didn't dare look at them. Once I heard them stop moving, I began.

Antonio's POV

She played the song she had played for my birthday present. _Believe in Me_. I would ask why she was doing this since it always pained her to speak about her weaknesses, about herself, about who she truly is, but I knew why. Max had accepted her, but I knew full well that though she had changed in the last months, her true self, her broken self, was still there. She had shared this with me and Noah the other day, but now she was showing everyone who she truly was. Acceptance. That's all she wants and she couldn't achieve it without exposing who she really was.

I watched her as she played; the nervousness that had stormed through her just moments ago had disappeared with the first note. Reese stood beside me and I felt him stiffen at the lyrics. I had told him what she had been like before, but the song brought that side of her alive and it was truly painful to see. I could see pain and hurt in her eyes as she sang. Memories of old playing in the back of her mind, no doubt.

I glanced over at Max and saw confusion all over his face. He had been so concentrated on hating Kim that he had been unable to notice this side of her. How this new piece of information would affect him, I had no idea. He had accepted her, he seemed to like her, but he didn't love her. Would this change his opinion of her? He was so in touch with his wolf that it was impossible to tell at times. I'd have to talk to him about this. I doubt he would realize the magnitude of Kim's actions, just like Kim hadn't discerned his either.

I flinched every time she sang the chorus and said the words _I want to wake up feeling beautiful today_. The feeling behind those words was so strong that it was obvious that she was singing with her heart, that those words meant a lot to her. She sang songs that meant something to her and that she connected to. Though I still wasn't sure what she felt exactly when she sang _Everything I Own_. Did she sing it because she thought of me as her father? The thought warmed my heart, but I would have to be careful with this. I would have to refrain from calling her my daughter to others unless it was absolutely necessary. She was so guarded of her feelings, which she proved time and time again when she was with Reese, that I was afraid I might scare her away, just like him.

She finished the song, but nobody moved, nobody clapped. I'm sure they were all shocked from the force of the song and of her. The power in her voice, in her emotions, it was more than enough to quieten a rowdy crowd. No one expected so much strength from someone so small, so delicate. Suddenly, Max got up and Reese stiffened as he made his way towards Kim. She looked up at Max, her eyes searching his face for judgement. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, accepting her. She only hesitated for a moment before returning his embrace. Reese relaxed beside me and I patted his back. He worried a lot about his yet-to-be-mate.

Noah walked over to Max and Kim and joined in their hug. Nick soon followed as did Reese. I watched my children for a few moments, basking in the joy of them all finally getting along, uniting around my only daughter. I walked forward and joined them. I couldn't care less about how or why this had happened. I'm just glad it did.

Kim's POV

I knocked on Max's door and waited for him to admit me. Everyone had gone to bed already, but I needed to talk to Max. Silently, his door opened. He stared at me, obviously surprised by my late night visit, but he admitted me nevertheless. I walked in, closing the door behind me, and followed him to the bed where his puppies lay. He motioned for me to sit beside him.

"Sorry, I know you want to sleep, but I thought we should talk about what you're going to do tomorrow when you face Mark," I said softly once I'd sat down beside him. He nodded and seemed to think it over before speaking.

"Okay, so what should I do?" he asked. I didn't even need to think my answer, I already knew it.

"Not react. That's all you need to do. Not react in any way at all, no matter how much he baits you," I said, but he didn't look happy about this. I couldn't blame him. "I know it's hard, trust me, I do, but it's like I said before. React and he'll continue to search for a reaction. If you give him a reaction, you give him power over you. Don't react, ever, and then he'll get bored. Eventually."

"So, if he pushes me into the lockers or throws my things around, I'm just supposed to let him do it?" he asked, none too happy.

"He's done that?" I whispered, trying to control my growing rage for the second time today. Max nodded. Shit. He has a violent bully. "Okay, well then, yes. He pushes you into a locker? You turn around and walk away. He throws your things on the ground again? You pick it up and walk away. That's it. There's nothing else you can do. Unless you want to go to the headmaster or Antonio," I said, but he immediately shook his head. I nodded, agreeing with this. Telling Antonio would hurt him and we both didn't want that. "Just remember that he'll always try and humiliate you in front of others. It makes them feel stronger if other people see how he has power over the underdogs. Don't give him that power, Max. Walk away and he has nothing. You're better than him and smarter, I bet." He smiled at that.

"Okay. I'll…I'll try then," he conceded. I nodded, petting Brick as I did.

"Why is he called Brick?" I asked suddenly. I had always wondered about the name, but I had never had the guts to ask him before now.

"Because he's dumb as a brick," he said matter-of-factly. Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense.

"What about Aiden?" He seemed to take longer to answer me with this one.

"He was a friend of mine when I was a kid, but he'd dead," he said softly, not really looking at me, but I could still see the pain in his eyes. I didn't know what to make of this or what to even say, so I settled for a silence. A moment later, when the silence started feeling uncomfortable, I said goodnight and told him to remember my instructions. I suppose it would be a while before the silences between us weren't uncomfortable.

I slipped back into my room and did a double take. Reese was sitting on my bed. Okay, this is new. He normally waits for me to actually be in my room before coming in. I walked over to him and stood in front of him, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow, trying to forget about the fact that I was in a skin tight night gown. Yes, I'd gone on more runs with the men and I was pretty sure they'd already seen every inch of my body. That didn't mean I wasn't still a bit uncomfortable. Okay, a little more than a bit uncomfortable. The guys noticed, though, and would always worship my body and 'beauty' before and after the run, especially after. Still, the runs gave me the perfect opportunity to check them out and, by god, they were all amazing.

"Who gave you permission to come into my room?" I asked seriously. Reese smiled, but I kept my face impassive and the grin faltered.

"I… I just wanted to talk to you," he said softly, suddenly looking uncertain. Still, I retained my expressionless face perfected throughout the years. "I'm sorry, I didn't think—" He broke off when my smile broke through. He growled playfully and grabbed me around the waist, swinging me onto the bed. Before I could move away from him, he moved over me and started tickling me. I had to work very hard to keep the laughter to a minimum since I didn't want to wake anyone, if anyone was asleep that is.

"S-stop," I whispered and for once he actually did. He slid down beside me, propping himself up on one arm and leaving his other wrapped around my waist.

"Thank you," he said suddenly. I shifted and looked at him with a questioning look. "For sharing," he explained. Oh. I nodded and looked up at the ceiling. He didn't really need to thank me. I'd shared myself because I needed to. For me, not for them I guess. I had needed their acceptance of the true me and now I had it.

When Max had walked over to me in the music room earlier, I thought for sure he was going to tell me to get fucked. I had been certain for one terrifying moment that my weaknesses had thrown him away from me. But they hadn't. He hugged me, he embraced me, he accepted me, as did the rest of the family. Yes, now we were a family.

Reese shifted beside me and nuzzled his nose into my shoulder. He obviously had no intention of leaving. Not that I minded. The night of Addison and Max's fight he had stayed the night and I can't say that I ever remember sleeping so well. He hadn't slept here since, though. I didn't know how to feel about this. Sleeping on the couch with him was one thing, but in my bed? It should be perturbing at the very least, but it wasn't. The wolf felt comforted, protected and safe. This was probably why I always slept so well with him around.

* * *

><p>I heard him come in, but I didn't move. Reese was beside me, still sleeping. I heard him as he tiptoed closer to me and then he leapt. I sprang my arms up and pushed him hard into the air, making him fall on top of Reese. Reese grunted in surprise and Noah hurried to get off of him, but he was too slow. Reese grabbed him and rolled, dropping them to the ground. I laughed as I watched them play fight and was so wrapped up on watching them that I didn't notice that someone else was in the room.<p>

I was attacked from behind, Nick's scent enveloping me as he tickled my sides from behind. I struggled against him, trying to break free, when suddenly, he was pushed against me. He instantly let me go and started laughing. I moved away from him and turned around to see hands on Nick's sides as he was tickled from behind by Max. I stared for a moment, certain I was hallucinating. Max had never joined in a tickle wake up session, since he had always tried to steer clear of me and most of those sessions took place right here, in my room. I smiled at him and he smiled back. I then lunged forward and together we took Nick down.

By the time Antonio joined us, we were all on the floor. I was tickling Noah now and Nick and Max were wrestling against Reese. Antonio came over to me and we joined forces. As I tickled Noah's sides, he tickled his neck. Noah was laughing so hard I was sure he was going to wet himself. I stopped after a while or he would indeed pee himself. I glanced up at Antonio, who had also stopped, and smiled. Yesterday he had said that he was proud of me. It seemed silly that I should feel warm when he says that to me, but I didn't really care. It felt good.

Eventually, we all went down to breakfast or we were all going to be late for school and work. I only had the academy to worry about since Antonio wouldn't let me work. He said that I could work once I had a degree in hand since he knew that that's what I wanted. I had yet to figure out what I wanted to get a degree in, but I could post-pone thinking about that for now. Yes, I was going to go to uni next fall. I wanted to go and Antonio wanted me to be happy, so I was going he had said. I'd given up trying to argue with him a while back. He was just to god damned stubborn and dominant.

"Good luck," I whispered into Max's ear as we walked into the garage. The others were talking and laughing as they all got into their respective cars so there wasn't much of a chance that they'd heard me. Max nodded and had a determined gleam in his eye. I smiled and went over to my car. Reese gave me a questioning look as I hopped into it, but I just shrugged and drove out. No one had asked why or how Max and I finally were getting along. I think they were just too happy about it that they preferred not to know.

I was a ball of nerves for the rest of the day. I was worried that Max might not be able to control himself and that he would give in to Mark's bait and react. There was nothing I could do, however, but wait it out. Since we were on good terms now, Antonio had asked if I could pick up Max from school today. I could.

I sat nervously in my car, waiting for Max. The fact that he was still in school and hadn't been expelled was a good sign. He hadn't been in a fight at least. But had he reacted in any other way? I spotted Max as he walked out the front doors amidst the horde of kids that streamed out. He walked to the car with a blank face and got in without a word. Please, let the blank face be because of his dislike of being surrounded by strangers—and humans, no less, which I knew he hated—and not because something happened.

"Max?" I said tentatively. He turned, keeping his face dead serious. Oh god, what had happened? My worry must have shown on my face, but he just smiled. It took me a moment to realize why he was smiling and I grinned. "All went well then? Did he try anything?"

"Yeah, but I did what you said. I walked away," he said and grinned mischievously, a smile I hadn't seen upon his face before. "He didn't like that very much." I chuckled. Oh, I'm sure he didn't. After all, what was the point of picking on the underdog if he didn't react, and thus not making you feel better about yourself? "Thank you," Max said suddenly. I smiled and held up my hand. He stared at it for a moment and then grinned, giving me a high five. I chuckled again and led us out of the parking lot.

Yesterday morning, I hadn't considered Max my family. He was Pack, he was my Pack brother, but now? Now he is my family. He's my brother.


	19. Ch 19 Mates

**Please read Max's, Antonio's and Addison's POVs on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Aftermath. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge _and_ Aftermath.

**Pretending – Glee**

Face to face and heart to heart, we're so close yet so far apart  
>I close my eyes, I look away, that's just because I'm not okay<br>But I hold on, I stay strong  
>Wondering if we still belong<p>

Will we ever say the words we're feeling  
>Reach down underneath and tear down all the walls?<br>will we ever have a happy ending  
>Or will we forever only be pretending?<br>Will we always be pretending?

Keeping secrets safe, every move we make  
>Seems like no one's letting go<br>And it's such a shame 'cause if you feel the same  
>How am I supposed to know?<p>

Ch 19 Mates

Christmas was less than two weeks away and I had no idea what I was going to do. The holidays hadn't exactly given me good memories, in fact, I'd managed to screw up the last three Christmases for my family, or so my mother had said. Besides, I had only known the Pack for little more then two months. What the hell was I supposed to get everyone? I sucked at getting presents and I had never in my life had to get so many presents.

I took a deep breath and held on to Nick as he led me down the streets of Manhattan. The boys were with Antonio somewhere around here as well, but Nick had taken me hostage to help pick out presents.

"Kim, you mind letting up on the death grip?" Nick said softly, his warm smile playing at his lips. I looked down and saw that I was indeed threatening to cut off circulation from his lower arm.

"Sorry," I mumbled and lightened the grip, but still held on tight. Maybe I should just ask Antonio if I can sit the festivities out. Maybe I was being a drama queen, but I really felt like this could not go well. I hadn't had a happy Christmas since I left Australia. I knew the Pack would try to make me feel welcomed and happy and try to let me have as much fun as possible, but I feared my dark memories would intrude and wouldn't let me be truly happy with my new family.

"Kim, what's wrong?" Nick asked, pulling me to the side and huddling next to a wall that separated two extremely expensive shops. I'm sure he'd been able to smell my anxiety from the moment we set out, but he had preferred to ignore it, probably giving me time to calm down. So not happening. "If you don't like crowds, we can go somewhere else or—"

"No, it's not that. I just…," I trailed off, biting my lip and looking away. God, I was stupid. I should just ask him to take me home and wait for Antonio so I could speak to him.

"Talk to me, Kim. You can trust me," he said and I nodded. I knew I could trust him and I did, but it just felt so stupid.

"It's just that I…I haven't had good Christmases in a while," I said, looking at his chest instead of his face. It took him a moment before he took my chin and lifted it so I was looking at him.

"I promise you that this will be the best Christmas you've ever had, Kim. We're not your…We'll make you happy. We're your family now, beautiful," he said gently. I knew he had refrained from saying that they weren't my parents. He didn't need to tell me that, though, I already knew it. Yet I couldn't help but feel nervous about it all. It was all starting to become a little overwhelming, especially with all the Christmas decorations that we'd put up all around the house a few days ago.

"And, um, will you help me with the gifts? I suck, I mean, I'm not very good at choosing them," I said shyly and Nick laughed.

"What do you think I'm here for?" he chuckled and took my hand, leading me back down the street. "Let's start with Antonio, shall we?"

Reese POV

What was I going to do? What the hell was I going to get Kim? I mean, what did one get for the girl that their wolf had mated them to? Max's answer was rings which was definitely not a good idea. Kim had been with us for little more than a month. In that time I had been able to see that she wasn't truly confident in herself or her wolf. That only meant that if I told her what my wolf had done, she would probably run screaming for the hills. She didn't totally understand her wolf so I was trying to give her time to adjust, treating her like I would any other girl I was interested in. Except she wasn't just any other girl.

I was mated for life to her, well, my wolf was. That didn't mean that I couldn't choose someone else, but my wolf would never truly accept them as my partner. I didn't want to choose anyone else, though. I wanted Kim, but I didn't want to scare her and telling her that I was mated to her would definitely do that. This was just so confusing; it had been from the very beginning. Before I had even said hello my wolf had mated me to her without me even realizing it. I hadn't even known it was possible for the wolf to mate without the human, but there it is.

"Just get her a ring, Reese," Max growled as we entered yet another shop. I gave him a look and he looked away submissively but with a smile on his face. My brother was convinced that Kim and I were mates, that she felt the same for me as I for her. I wasn't so sure, but he was. I was still careful around him when he was with Kim, keeping an eye out in case he changed his ways. It didn't seem likely. Hell, he'd tried to give her his dogs and I knew what that meant. He accepted and respected her. I had no idea what had changed this but I was just happy it had.

I hated fighting with my brother, but I just hadn't been able to control my wolf when he started hurting Kim which led to me re-damaging his voice box. Max had been hurting her with his words and the wolf went berserk, leaving me helpless against its wrath. Thankfully, Kim intervened. For one so small and fragile-looking, she is very strong willed. I hadn't expected her to do anything and I'm sure the scene she witnessed horrified her, but she took me down with deadly precision. Somehow that made me fall for her all the more. She can keep my wolf under wraps even when I can't. The perfect mate.

"How about a piece of jewelry that doesn't really represent commitment?" Noah suggested. I loved my brothers. I was an only child but joining the Pack granted me this, to be able to have siblings. I nodded absentmindedly at Noah, the calmest and most submissive in our household, but I loved him all the same.

I walked right passed the rings and went over to the necklaces. She already had one and she almost never took it off. I knew it meant something important to her but I hadn't asked her yet. I was trying to get to know her, to understand why my wolf had chosen her, spending almost all my time with her. Sometimes it was just astounding that she hadn't realized how I felt towards her, but something told me that she wasn't all that used to guys chasing after her. I couldn't be certain but she was just too shy sometimes for it to have been otherwise.

"Come on, Reese, just pick something already. I'm hungry," Max complained. I growled lowly in frustration. Damn it, what was I supposed to get her? It couldn't be anything simple or ordinary that I would get just any girl. Kim was special, she was my mate, whether she realized it or not. Okay, we weren't truly mates since we had yet to actually do the mating and I still had no idea if she felt anything for me. It was just so difficult for me to figure it out. She could be letting go, joking around with me, one minute and then the next be shying away with embarrassment. This mostly only happened when someone walked in on us when we were close together, but still. I just wasn't sure what she felt.

Our relationship was deepening as we got to know each other. She allowed me to sleep in her bed sometimes without complaint. She trusted me and from what Antonio told me she had trusted me from the very beginning. I was the first person she ever sung to, the first person she ever talked about her home with. I have no idea what this meant but I was resisting the urge to ask her. Some subjects were just too delicate with her and I didn't want to hurt her. I would not hurt her.

I was holding back with her, I really was, though it may not seem like it. I comforted her using Pack bonds and often slept with her on the couch or in her bed. I'd only been going to her bed ever since she had sung for us just less than a week ago. That night I'd felt compelled to be with her, to feel her near me, and she'd let me. She'd shared her true self with me and I'd needed to be by her side. Ever since then I'd go up almost every night to just talk with her, though I would always spend the night. I can honestly say that I had never slept better than when I slept with her. Her scent and presence comforted me in a way I never thought possible. In any case, I was still holding back. I would much rather me kissing her to comfort her than just holding her sometimes, but I reframed from doing so. First I needed to know what she felt for me and then I needed to figure out how to tell her what my wolf had done.

"Look, how about I go with her after lunch and get her to tell me what would be special for her?" Max said. I studied him for a moment. He was trying really hard to get back in my good books. We'd been on rocky ground for the past month since he had been hell-bent on hating and hurting Kim and my wolf had not liked that one bit. No one hurts my mate and gets away with it, no one, not even my brother. Thankfully the problem was resolved before I completely lost it. I had been on edge for the past month, my wolf on alert 24/7 in case something happened to Kim. He was still on alert but it was more subtle now, like I knew he would be now that he had a mate to care for. Not that she couldn't hold her own, but still. It was just instinct.

"Fine," I gave in. I was at a loss and I was willing to try anything right then. Besides, Max was trying to fix things between. I'd give him that chance, he deserved it. He had been nothing but kind to Kim in the last week.

Grudgingly, I followed the others out and we made our way to the restaurant. Nick was helping Kim get her presents but when they'd set off this morning, I had smelt her nervousness. Predictably this left the wolf nervous and anxious at not knowing what was bothering his mate, but I'd find out soon enough. If there was one thing I couldn't hold back, it was the need to make her feel better, no matter what was wrong with her. Again, it was just instinct. The instinct to protect my mate.

Kim POV

It took us the entire morning, but Nick and I both managed to buy all of our gifts, well, most of them. I was still missing two people, Nick and Reese. I'd be coming back after lunch with Max and Antonio to pick something out for them, but I had no idea what to get. Everything Nick had suggested I get Reese hadn't seemed right. For some reason, I wanted my present to be more personal.

We took the things back to the car and then went to the restaurant where we were going to meet up with the others. They were already there, though. Figures. Why do men take less time to pick things out? With the exception of Nick that is. I swear the guy takes longer to shop than a woman.

The moment I sat down beside Reese, he took my hand in his and leaned down to my ear, asking me if was better. I filled with warmth at his words. I could always trust Reese to know when something was wrong, even without smelling my emotions. I nodded and gave him a genuine smile which seemed to put him at ease.

While we had lunch, Antonio told us the plans for the holidays, though I suspect it was more for my benefit than for the boys'. It sounded like it was the regular plan for the festivities. We would be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at home and on Boxing Day we would be going to the Alpha's house and stay there until past New Year's. As he spoke, I realized that this Christmas would be very different and it wasn't exactly because of my parents.

"Kim?" Nick said and I looked up to find them all staring at me. I nodded as if to say that I was paying attention, which I clearly wasn't. "What's so funny?" he asked and I realized that I was smiling.

"N-nothing," I said and concentrated on my food, hoping he would let it drop. No such luck. Nick wrapped an arm around my waist and tickled my side softly.

"Tell us," he whispered into my ear. I dropped my fork with a clutter as I jumped and tried to pull away from Nick. Reese, who was on my other side, gave him a look. Nick pulled back, smiling at me. "Come on. Tell us the joke."

"It isn't a joke," I said and went back to my food. I ignored the silence that fell at my tone and kept my gaze on the round table. I suddenly remembered the first time he'd asked me about my home that I'd responded in much the same way. I hadn't done it on purpose then and definitely not now. "Sorry," I said and looked up at Nick. He studied my face for a moment and then nodded, but his smile wasn't present. Oh, damn. "Look, it's just, um, I've never…opened my presents on Christmas day before," I said lamely. They all looked at me oddly as if they had never heard of such a thing. They probably hadn't. "It's always been a tradition in my family to open the presents on Christmas Eve. Back home, my uncle and grandmother would take me and my sister out of the house in search of Santa, while everyone else put the gifts under the tree. They even had bells so my aunt could make it ring around the house, making us go on a wild goose chase while they laid out the presents. When the bell stopped ringing, we'd go back inside and find the presents," I told them and couldn't help but smile. Those had been the greatest Christmases I had ever had, when the miracle that was Santa still existed.

I looked up at the guys since they hadn't said a word yet and found them all smiling stupidly. Max looked more curious, though, and he asked why we did this. I explained that it was because of my South American backgrounds and that it was common there to wait up for Santa instead of waking up the next day to find the presents under the tree. Max took in this knew piece of information with interest. I hadn't spoken much about my backgrounds with anyone other than Antonio so they took the opportunity to ask me more about them. Unlike most, I had quite the mix. I told him about my mixed bloods, Spanish, French, Chilean and, somewhere along the way, Italian, but I couldn't remember how many generations back that last one was. Having lived in one culture but my family being from another meant that most of my traditions and holidays were somewhat screwed up. For example, on the eighteenth of September my family always celebrated Chile's Independence Day, normally with a party with family friends and such. We had different traditions for New Years as well.

"Grapes?" Noah said, raising an eyebrow, as we left the restaurant and made our way back to the stores.

"Yep. You have to eat one with each chime. It's supposed to be good luck," I said with a small smile. It was more of a Spanish tradition that my stepfather had introduced into our family, but we had done it the last New Year I was with my grandmother. Noah nodded, smiling slightly. It felt good to share this with them all. I guess it was because my traditions were also a part of me that I needed to share with them.

"So you're not pure Aussie then," Reese said, tickling my sides as he wrapped an arm around my waist. I gave him a mock-cold glare.

"I'm an Aussie at heart," I said firmly and it shut him up. Nick burst into laughter.

"She's got you there, mate," he said and Reese mock-scowled, smiling down at me with a gleam in his eyes. My glare didn't last two seconds and I immediately smiled back at him.

We separated into two groups then and I took off with Antonio and Max. Max was having a hard time with the Christmas shopping. He hated crowds, the strangers and being touched by them, so I held firmly onto his arm as we walked into a store. He nodded his thanks, but kept his eyes on alert. Since I glued myself to him, he helped me pick out Nick's present. Antonio stayed close by us most of the time, in case something happened with Max. I have to admit that it was not a very intelligent idea to bring Max to New York just less than two weeks before Christmas. The result was obviously torture.

After Max had acquired a gift for the twins, Antonio led us to a two story jewellery store. Again, Tonio tried to stay close by, but the shop was less than half full, so I shooed him away to the second floor while I stayed with Max on the first.

"Have you spoken to Addison yet?" I asked once Antonio had left. Max shook his head and the look on his face was filled with so much sadness and longing it hurt to look at. "What are you waiting for?" Max just shrugged and fingered the glass case of some engagement rings. I suddenly noticed a silver ring on his hand as he did so. Didn't Addison have one exactly like that?

"What if he doesn't forgive me?" Max suddenly asked, but lowly, and I barely heard his question over the clamour within the shop despite me being so close to him.

"Of course he'll forgive you, Max. He loves you, he's your...um, mate," I said, the use of the word 'mate' still sounding weird on my tongue. Max looked up, looking hopeful.

"You really think so?" he asked. I smiled and took his hand in mine, giving it a tight squeeze.

"I know so." He smiled at me and nodded, looking somewhat happier. I hadn't spoken to Addison about what had happened between Max and me because I'd supposed Max would want to tell him. "I'll help you if you want and even go with you, just in case," I said and Max's smile broadened as he nodded.

"I'd like that, thanks," he said and I nodded, giving his hand another squeeze before letting go. To both our surprise, our friendship had formed with apparent ease over the past few days. He was a really good person but he hadn't let me in on that side of him until now. "So, who do you have left?" he asked as I walked from the rings to the silver necklaces and charms.

"Reese, and I'm so totally lost," I said desperately. I really had no idea what I could or should get him. Max came to stand beside me as I studied the silver charms.

"Well, he's your mate so it has to be something special," he said. I froze and it took me an entire minute to correctly process his words.

"He's not my mate," I said softly and turned to Max. He frowned at me. I understood what 'mate' meant. It was a wolf term that meant the he was my partner and lover for life, neither of which was true.

"Of course he is. There's no need for you to pretend, Kim. Everyone already knows," he said, sounding a little exasperated. Pretend? Who the hell's pretending?

"I'm not pretending, Max," I said calmly, but he just raised his eyebrow at me in a 'really?' gesture. I shook my head and moved away over to the bracelets.

"Why don't you get him a ring?" he asked innocently. I gave him a look and caught his mischievous grin before he hid it. A ring, just what I needed. I may as well propose to him now. "A chain?"

"Oh, I know. Why don't I get him dog tags? That would be so _funny_," I said sarcastically, but Max just looked at me as if I was crazy. I shook my head and went back to the men's bracelets.

"A bracelet with an inscription then? Maybe something personal?" he suggested as he came to stand beside me, probably deciding that I wasn't crazy, not much anyway. I didn't respond, but the idea seemed appealing. But what the hell could I put on it? Did I know him well enough for that? Maybe I should just go with any form of bracelet _without_ an inscription. "Do you have a mantra, or a motto maybe?" Max asked suddenly. I looked at him, thinking. Yeah, maybe "he's your Pack brother" was my mantra lately, but I don't think that was a good idea for an inscription.

"Um, well, I suppose I have two. One that I had before I was bitten and that I still use and another one that is more important now more than ever," I said softly. Max raised his eyebrow expectantly. I sighed and said, "'Stay strong' is the first and the other one is 'love is louder'. That last one is actually a movement promoted by some celebrities, but I love it. I can relate to it, you know?" Odd that I was telling Max so much about myself, but he is my brother, I can trust him. It felt weird to, after everything that had happened between us, but it felt good as well.

"I like the second one, but the first one fits Reese better. Especially if he's going to have to wait for you to admit that you're mates," he said cheekily. I glared at him, but my smile gave me away. We weren't mates but yes, I liked the idea. I'd probably go with 'love is louder', though. It just meant so much more now. Love is louder than my insecurities, my doubts, my problems. The love of the people that took me in is louder than everything that made me insecure and unconfident, helping me rise above all of it. But would it be right for Reese? After all, wasn't I insinuating with those three words that I loved him? I did love him, but I wasn't _in_ love with him, I think. I just had it really, really bad for him.

Abbey had always thought that she would know when she met the love of her life by just looking into his eyes. I hadn't been very into this idea, but she had rubbed it off on me. Did I really think that I was in love with Reese? Love at first sight? God, I hoped not, I really, really hoped not. That would just be beyond embarrassing if he ever found out. He didn't feel the same, that much was obvious.

Despite the words' insinuation, I went with them. It didn't take me long to pick out the bracelet. It was quite simple. Black braided leather that joined in the centre with a circular silver plate engraved with three words written in cursive, "love is louder". I went back over to Max after paying and found him sending a text.

"Addison?" I asked. He looked up, looking slightly flustered, though he hid it quickly. It had been the same look people normally had when you found them doing something they didn't want you to see.

"Nah, but I'll talk to him soon," he said, not meeting my eye. That sounded a lot like an evasive to me. Before I could call him on it, however, Antonio appeared. Since we were all done, we went to his car and he took us home and the guys would come back in Nick's car.

The moment we got home, I dragged the many shopping bags up to my room and then overtook Max's room before he could so much as sit on his bed. I spent the rest of the day talking with Max about Addison and what he should say to apologize to him. I wasn't a relationship expert, far from it, but I was good with words, something Max wasn't. Well, okay, he was, he just had trouble communicating. Another one of his various problems that I refused to address with him. Not yet at least. Maybe one day there would be much more trust between us and I would talk to him about it without worrying about overstepping bounds. One day.

Reese POV

I stared at Max's text certain I was misreading it. He had said that he would find out what was special to Kim, not what I should get her exactly, but the text was clear. _Bracelet with inscription 'love is louder'. _And that was it. No explanation whatsoever. I only hesitated for a split second before deciding to trust my brother on this. He wouldn't do anything to hurt Kim so I'd just have to ask him about the inscription later. Nick helped me choose out the bracelet and once I had the small wrapped package in hand, we were ready to leave.

On the ride home I thought the words through. 'Love is louder'. Now that I thought about those words they really did suit Kim. From what I have seen of Kim's behaviour and from what Kim herself and Antonio have told me of her past, I could see why those three words could be important to her. I'd seen how she'd broken down when Nick told her we loved her after she'd seen Max and Addison fight. Love is important for her. She probably never received it at home.

I forced myself out of those thoughts. Thinking about her parents always made me rage, especially the wolf. I just hated to know that someone had hurt her and I had been unable to stop it. Again, just the wolf in me, I suppose, or maybe it was just me.

The moment we got home I went in search of Kim. I know I probably spent more than seventy percent of my day by her side, but it was just something I needed to do. I guess you could say that I was addicted to her, to her smell, to her presence, to her touch, to the feel of her body against mine, and that by being with her I was getting my fix. I actually think it was just that.

I found her in Max's room. My brother was smart enough to look away from my gaze submissively when I walked in. I was higher up in the Pack hierarchy than him and for the past week he'd been making certain that he was always submissive to me. Kim on the other hand did no such thing and just smiled at me as I stepped into the room. God, you'd think she knew that she was now at my Pack status. Since female werewolves were so rare, they took their Pack status from their mates. She wasn't technically my mate, but my wolf had taken her for his mate and everyone accepted this so now she was as high up as me. This explained why both Noah and Max were submissive to her, though I'm not sure if she realized it.

I told them that we'd brought dinner and they quickly jumped off the bed to follow me out. Werewolves are always hungry. I took Kim's hand as she passed by my side and I felt the wolf calm instantly. Yep, she was my fix. She smiled shyly up at me and let me hold her hand until we were all the way into the dining room.

We sat down in our usual places and not for the first time I found myself wishing that she was more in touch with her wolf or that she'd been raised by wolves. If she was, she might have seen just how important it was for her to be sitting in between Nick and me, just a seat from the head of the table. She would have known then that she was as high up as I was in the Pack, though I'm not sure she knew there was even a hierarchy in the Pack. It was a big deal for the human and we we're all technically equals, but it was important for the wolf.

As we ate, I couldn't help but wonder what her reaction would be to the bracelet. Would she see the insinuation those words held? Would she realize that I loved her? I frowned at my food then. Love her? That sounded really mundane. What I felt for Kim was so much stronger that it seemed like 'love' didn't quite cut it. I wasn't worried that Max was up to something to hurt Kim. I could see that he respected her too much for that.

Kim and Antonio cleared the table after dinner and I was just going to go looking for my brothers to see if they wanted to play when I heard Kim talking from the kitchen. I couldn't help it. I followed her voice and as I neared the kitchen I could hear her trying to convince Antonio to let her take Max to Addison's. Damn, not a good idea.

"No," I heard Antonio say firmly. I swallowed my growl at the tone he was using with my wolf mate and forced myself to calm down. Kim didn't realize how touchy Antonio could be about Max and Addison being together.

"Why not?" she asked slowly. Silence followed her question and I knew she was probably having a stare contest with Antonio. Though it wasn't obvious, she was as stubborn as Max at times. She stood her ground for what she believed in and I admired her for that.

"No, princess," Antonio said again, but gently now. Obviously Kim had submitted to him. She was not as dominant as him, not yet at least, but she was plenty dominant even for a female werewolf.

Silence reined as they finished cleaning up and I waited behind the door for her. She was right. Max and Addison needed to make up. They were both miserable and Max was regressing. I just wished that I had been the one to think of it first. I was the oldest and I was supposed to look after the others, but Kim was already doing that. She was always worried when something was wrong with her brothers and myself. If she felt something for me and she accepted me as her mate, then we would be the perfect pair. We were both dominant and protective and together we would protect our brothers. Hopefully one day we would be able to do that, but not yet. She wasn't ready. I just hoped that one day she would be.

Kim POV

I walked out of the kitchen still trying to rein in my anger at Antonio's attitude. I just couldn't understand why he wouldn't let me take Max to Addison's. Was it really so bad to let them be together? Suddenly, I was caught from behind, strong arms wrapping around me, and I instantly knew who it was and it wasn't because of his scent. His touch and the feel of his arms around me were unmistakable.

"Come with me," Reese whispered into my ear. He stepped away from me and then came up to my side, taking my hand in his, and led me to my room.

"What's wrong?" I asked the moment the door to my room was closed. Reese said nothing as he pulled me to the bed, making me sit down next to him.

"Max. I heard you telling Antonio you want to take Max to go see Addison. Tonio might not like it, but Addison is Max's mate and they need one another. Max is miserable without him and I'm sure Addison feels the same way," he said, gently rubbing my hand with his fingers. I nodded in agreement. "But Max is backsliding, he's regressing. He only gets out of bed every morning and goes to school because Jeremy has ordered it." Oh God, I didn't know it was that bad. "I'll take him over to Addison's tomorrow, but I'll need your help. Cover for me while I take him, please," he said gently.

I stared at him for a moment, taking in what he was saying. "No, I'll take him," I said firmly. If anyone was going to take the fall if Antonio found out, that would be me. It was my idea after all. Reese considered my words first before shaking his head with a tender look in his eyes.

"No. I don't want you to get into trouble," he said still in a gentle voice despite my firm tone. My eyes went wide at this, remembering how I had said the same thing to him when he had been fighting with Max. I trusted Reese; I had from the very beginning. He was the first person I ever sang to after being bitten and the first person I talked to about my home. He'd stood up for me against his brother, hurting him in the process. He worried if I was hurt, angry or upset. He was always there for me, but our relationship was a simple one. We understood each other so well that we barely had to talk at times to know the other's feelings or intentions. I'd never had this type of relationship with anyone before and it was weird, but it just came naturally.

"I'll go," I said more forcefully but with a small smile. He was being as protective as he always was, but I needed him to trust me with this. "Max trusts me now and I promised him I would help him with Addison." He studied me for a moment before giving in. One thing we had in common was that our word meant a lot to us. He had said that he would not let Max hurt me and I think he now knew that he wouldn't, but he was still wary of him. Reese lifted his hand, cupping my cheek gently while still holding my hand in his other.

"Okay, but be careful, okay? If Max doesn't get Addison back… Well, I'm not sure what will happen, but I know it won't be good," he said solemnly. I nodded. I knew that Max's problems could lead him to overreact at times, but I was almost 100% certain that I didn't need to worry about that. Addison would forgive Max.

Without warning, he pulled me forward and embraced me. I let him and didn't say a word. This is just how it had worked between us since I'd come to live here a month ago. He silently comforted me or reassured me with his presence and his scent. Like I knew he would, he eventually pulled us down so we were lying side by side on my bed. Ever since I had sung for him and everyone else, revealing the true me, he came up every now and then at night and we would spend hours just talking about this and that and sometimes just listening to music. He would always spend the night, though. I honestly had no idea what to make of this or how to feel about it. I decided I didn't care, though, and just went with it. We were asleep within minutes, him still holding me tight against him.

* * *

><p>"Max, it will be okay," I whispered, trying to convince myself more than him. He either ignored me or didn't hear me, I have no idea. I glanced at him beside me and saw him lean over to lay his head on the glass and pull his legs up to his chest. I swore under my breath as the wolf pushed forward to protect her brother. Damn it. I took a deep breath and forced calm back into my body, pushing the fear and the wolf back.<p>

I'd blown it, big time. I should have known there was a reason for Antonio not letting Max be with Addison and I could see why now. Max had entered zombie mode the moment Addison had told him they could be friends. Just friends. It was obvious that Addison wanted more than to be just friends with Max but he had said that he wasn't ready for that, that first he needed to be sure that Max wasn't the person that had bullied me for weeks. Even my input that Max really had changed didn't change his mind. No wonder he was Max's mate, they were both as stubborn as hell.

I tried to calm my raging wolf that was pissed at Addison for hurting my brother. She wanted to make heads roll, though I knew it wasn't a very good idea. I took a deep breath and glanced at my brother again as I drove us back home. I shuddered as I thought of how he could overreact to this. I had been told that his problems tended to make him seem a little overdramatic at times, but how would losing his mate affect him? I knew it must hurt terribly, but how far would that pain take him? I suppressed a whimper as I thought just how depressed Max had been and how he was now. Would it be enough for him to consider putting an end to his misery? Shamefully I remembered my own moment of weakness in my last year of high school and forced back a sob as I realized that Max could react like this.

The moment I got the car into the garage, Reese was by my door, opening it and not even asking how it had gone. One look at my face told him all he needed to know, though I explain as quickly as possible what had transpired and how Max had reacted. The look on his face sent a shot of fear through me. Reese must have smelt it because he immediately took a hold my hand and told me not to worry and went over to Max. He hauled him out of the car, but Max walked himself to the garage door, though Reese held him tight as if afraid he might fall. I nervously followed them, trembling as I walked through the house, quite aware of the fact that I was screwed. I had gone behind Antonio's back convinced that everything would be okay between Max and Addison, but it wasn't and now Max was worse than he had been before.

I followed them to the living room where Reese finally let go of Max. He turned to me with a worried expression, but I just shook my head and told him to call Antonio. I watched as Max slumped down onto the sofa and heard as Antonio came to the living room, accompanied by Nick. I stood with Reese by my side when they walked in. I'm sure he could smell my fear and was staying close to me for support. I really appreciated it.

"What?" Nick said as soon as he saw us and I had to swallow my tears. I was just so scared for Max and infuriated with myself.

"We went to see Addison," I explained softly, and tried to hide just how upset I was. God, this was all my fault. Why was Addison so thick-headed? Hadn't he seen the pain in Max, the same one I saw in him?

"I said no, culo," Antonio growled, swearing in Italian. I held my ground despite my shaking body, but I heard Reese growl from beside me. Antonio kept his gaze on him until I felt Reese move closer to me.

"Dad, it's okay," Max said suddenly and tried to stand, but he was shaking as much as I was. I moved forward and held him firmly, steadying him. "Addison said we would be okay if everything was between Kim and I, but he lied. It's not Kim's fault. He just wants to be friends, is all, just like you wanted," Max said lowly. Antonio growled and I couldn't help but flinch. I had never heard him growl so angrily before and I hated knowing that I was the cause of that anger, at least part of it.

"I knew he would do this to you, Max, I knew he would hurt you and make you worse. Never again, never," Tonio said forcefully. Max just nodded and tried to get out from my grasp, making for the door, but I held on tight.

"No, Antonio, please, we need to talk," I pleaded, thinking quickly and placing an arm around Max to keep him in place. This was my fault, I had gone behind his back, not Max. I was to blame. And I needed to tell him my suspicions of Max's reaction, though I'm sure he was already considering it. No more roof access, that was for sure.

"Talk," Antonio said, making it sound like an order. He was very angry if he was talking to me like this, but he had every right to be. I glanced at Max and gave Tonio a pleading look, the tears threatening to fall at any moment. His look softened instantly and when he spoke, his tone was gentler. "Sorry, princess, let's go to my study," he suggested and held out a hand for me. I nodded, but turned to Reese and mouthed for him to watch Max. I knew he would do what I asked. I trusted him to look after Max while I talked with Antonio. I smiled lightly as he nodded, accepting my request.

I took Antonio's hand and let him lead me to his study. As soon as he sat me down on one of the couches in it, I broke down and told him everything. I was just so scared. I had never seen him like that and it scared me. My wolf was whining, upset that our brother had been hurt and I hadn't been able to do anything about it. Antonio kept his anger at bay while I told him what had happened and how Max reacted. When I was done, tears were falling down my face and he instinctively pulled me to him. Softly he told me that my suspicions were correct and that we would now need to be on alert. His words just made me cry all the more. This was all my fault.

A few hours later found me in my room with Reese comforting me silently. Antonio had just spoken to Noah, Reese and me about Max. He told us that Max had regressed to how he had been before I had come along and so he was not to be left alone. God, if he tried to…end it, I had no idea what I would do. Antonio said that we could get him back, but I wasn't so sure. I was quite certain that they only thing that could get Max to come back to himself was Addison.

"It's not your fault, Kim," Reese said gently. He was lying down beside me on my bed and had an arm over my belly as I stared up at the ceiling. I said nothing. His scent and presence was allowing me to keep it together for now, but I was still scared. Silently I turned to face him and rolled, moving on top of him. Without a word, he accepted this, wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling me down against him. He always accepted this physical closeness between us. Hell, for the first few weeks he was the one initiating it and only now was I allowing myself to do so as well. It was just so soothing to feel him so close to me.

"It's going to be okay, I promise," he said now. I nodded into his chest, believing him. Maybe if Antonio or Nick had said it, I might have refrained from entirely believing them, but this was Reese. I trusted him. Why? I just do, like I had from the moment we met.

Two days later, it was my turn to watch Max. He was reading on the living room couch, though he hadn't turned a page in quite some time. Yesterday morning I'd had to watch him as well, but he had silent and mechanically worked on his puzzles until lunch time. I paced in front of him, feeling agitated. I knew what I had to do, what I should do, but I knew it would make Antonio angry, but I was too worried about Max to think about the consequences. Max's life mattered more than my actions' repercussions right then.

"I'll be fine, Kim," Max said suddenly in a low growl. I looked at him sharply, moving over to him quickly. I leaned over him and let my wolf peek out. His wolf was taking over him lately and I was forced to let my wolf keep him in check. I still wasn't entirely use to this whole being dominant thing, but right then it was helping me help Max for which I was grateful.

"Stay in control," I demanded the moment his wolf had backed down from mine. He looked away from my gaze then, looking chastised. Damn it. I was just so worried about him that it was difficult to keep my frustration over the situation under control. These feelings were new to me. I had never felt this need to help or protect anyone, and it was killing me that I couldn't—wouldn't—do anything about it. I reached over him again, leaning in for a hug, when I saw the page he was on. "Have you been reading the same page for the last hour?" I demanded now. He nodded slightly and anger shot through me, overriding the fear. "That's it. Noah," I screamed. Moments later, Noah was in the doorway, raising his eyebrow at me. It wasn't often that I screamed, after all. "Watch him, please," I said as calmly as possible and he nodded. I was out of there before he had even sat down.

I hopped into the driver's seat of my car and closed the door just as the passenger's door opened and Reese climbed aboard. Before I could say anything, he just said, "I'm coming." I nodded and drove us out. Reese was just as worried as me about Max so I knew he felt the need to come along. His dominance making him very protective. His presence instantly soothed me and my anger faded. Once we reached the Victorian house Addison lived in, I told Reese to wait in the car. He didn't like that.

"I don't want you to eat him. I'm sure Max would not appreciate it," I said calmly. I met his gaze and we fell into a dominance contest. I was just about to look away when he did. As always he was submissive to me and I had no idea why. I didn't bother to linger on it and jumped out of the car before Reese decided he'd much rather eat Addison. He wouldn't, not really, but I was pretty sure that Reese's protectiveness for his brother would force him to take down the person that had hurt Max. Maybe a head or two would roll if I let him inside. Not a good idea, considering that this was a sorcerer household.

I knocked on the front door and thankfully, Addison's dad answered. I plastered a smile on my face and spoke politely, saying that I was Max's sister and asking if I could speak to Addison. I could. Poor man. He probably didn't know I was a werewolf or he would have known better than to have left his son alone in the same room as me.

I knocked on Addison's door and waited for him to let me in. When I heard him call me in, I forced my wolf down so he wouldn't see anger in me. It had resurfaced once I stopped smelling Reese's scent, but fear was now taking over. What if I couldn't convince Addison? No, don't think like that. I would convince him; I had to, for my brother. I walked in to find him on his bed. The moment he saw me he got up and faced me. I closed the door before beginning, just in case his parents decided to come and check on him.

"Addison, you need to talk to Max, please. My brother is...," I pleaded, trailing off, unable to find the right words. I needed to get this right. Addison gestured to the bed and I strode forward, almost collapsing on it, my knees giving way. "He's depressed, he hardly eats or sleeps and unless we give him a direct order, he won't do anything. He's regressing, Addison, way too quickly. He needs you," I said, desperate to get through to him.

"I can't," he said. I had to force down my wolf's growl and take a deep breath before continuing. My fear of what Max would do if he didn't get Addison back was forcing the wolf to take the forefront, preparing to protect. I remembered what Elena had told me when I first began my training. 'You'll Change if you're scared'. What better way to protect my brother than with the wolf? It'd be okay if I was actually protecting my brother from a mutt or something, but this was his mate so the wolf would have to stay back.

"Yes, you can, Addison. I can see you're upset too. You need him as much as he needs you," I said and reached for his hand. "I'm sorry his wolf scared you, but he was only concerned for Max. I wish I could convey how bad off he is. We're all keeping watch over him because we're worried he might…," I trailed off again, unable to continue. A look of horror passed over Addison's face and I took his hand in mine, trying to convey my own fear to him. He was Max's mate. I could see it in his eyes; my wolf could see it in his eyes.

"Did you and Antonio work it out, you know, when you overheard him?" he suddenly asked. I looked at him, wondering where the hell this had come from. Oh right. The reason he and Max had fought in the first place. I nodded and he seemed somewhat satisfied. "Good, then I will ask you to leave," he said firmly and took his hand away from mine, crossing his arms over his chest in a very Max like gesture. I stared at him. No way. He could not be serious. Max was on the verge of killing himself and Addison was just sitting here, doing nothing to stop it. He was his mate. I understood what that meant. They complemented each other, together they formed a whole, the ying and yang. Anger stormed through me and Addison immediately looked away. I took a deep breath, forcing down the wolf and the rage before speaking.

"Please, Addison," I begged and tears fell before I could stop them. He had to come with me. He had to help Max; he had to go back to him. Addison didn't answer; he just looked at me and seemed hurt by my tears. And yet he said nothing. I waited him out, hoping he would give in. Nothing. I got up without a word and left.

"I'm sorry, Antonio," I whispered as the large man held me in his arms. He said nothing as we sat in on my bed. I had barely made it through the door when Antonio had come to ask me what was wrong. One look at my face told him that I had been crying and my tone had told him I was about to do so again, despite Reese holding me firmly in his grasp. Antonio had shooed him away and brought me up here so we could talk. I told him what I had gone to do and where I had been, but he didn't say anything until I had finished.

"I knew he would hurt Max. That's why I didn't want them to be together," he said softly. I nodded gently into his chest. Yes, this was what Reese had said as well. But he had been sure that Addison would never hurt Max, so he had been wrong. Antonio didn't chastise me, he just held me until I had calmed down. He eventually left and I stayed on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Hopefully, sleep would take me away from this terrifying reality.

Not two minutes after Tonio had left, the door to my room opened and I looked up to see Reese. He quickly came over to the bed and lay down beside me and I curled up against him as he wrapped his arms around me. I was just so scared, so god damned scared for Max. I inhaled deeply as I leaned into Reese's chest, letting his scent calm me like it always did. I was thankful that his scent affected me so. Sometimes I wondered if he knew how his scent affected me, but the thought never lasted long since I knew that if he knew, he would have already rejected me. Once more, he spent the night with me, his presence and smell allowing me to sleep through the entire night peacefully.

* * *

><p>"He'll get through this, Kim," Noah said, taking my hand in his while Reese held the other. I nodded, keeping my gaze on my bed cover. I wanted to believe him, I really did, but it was had to believe that Max would be able to climb out of his mile-deep depression, even if we were trying to help him. Hell, he even had a shrink with him right now, but somehow I doubted it would work. Cooper seemed okay, but I was weary of him. He was a stranger in our house, after all, but I would trust him since he seemed to have Max's best interest at heart.<p>

"Addison," I said, still keeping my eyes on the white and grey bed cover, "He just needs Addison." Reese let go of my hand then and took me in his arms. I instantly relaxed in his arms. I couldn't even bother pondering why he affected me so.

Suddenly, the door bell started ringing frantically. The three of us glanced at each other and the next moment we were flying out the door and running down the stairs. I heard voices and someone calling, "Kitchen." I followed the guys to the kitchen where the voice had some from and we found Max and Addison embracing.

"Max," Addison said as he pulled away from Max to look at him. "I love you and I want to be with you as more than just friends. I want you and I want your wolf. I want you both forever," he said and Max sighed in relief, leaning into him again. I heard him sob against Addison's chest and when he pulled back, I saw tears rolling down his face. I smiled at him as he looked around at us, but his gaze lingered on Antonio for a moment longer.

I knew what Tonio was thinking. He didn't want Max and Addison together because Addison could hurt Max, which he already had, the consequences of which we had just witnessed for the past few days. But Max was happy and if he took Addison away, things would just get worse than they had been less than ten minutes ago.

I looked over at Addison and caught his gaze. I smiled slightly, nodding, but I let my wolf peek out. I knew that he understood my warning. Max was my younger brother and I had to protect him. I would not let Addison cause him anymore pain, never again. Not if I could help it.

Reese took my hand then and I glanced up at him. He smiled and leaned down to kiss me on the cheek, making me flush furiously, though no one was paying any attention to us. "Thank you," he whispered into my ear before pulling back. I just smiled at him and turned to look at our ecstatic brother. Thankfully my words had gotten through to Addison, but I now knew what could happen to Max. I would never let anyone hurt my brother, not Addison, not some stupid mutt, no one. He was my little brother and I would protect him with everything I had if I had to. One glance at Reese beside me told me that I would not be alone in my mission.

He gave my hand a light squeeze before leading me out of the kitchen. He tugged me along until we were in the theatre room. I couldn't help but smile as he sat me down and started rummaging through the shelves. He picked a movie—_The Princess Bride_, which he knew I loved—and then sat down beside me. I leaned into him, basking in his company as he wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer to him. Eventually we were joined by our siblings and Addison and we all watched the movie together. I smiled in contentment at knowing that everything seemed to be in place now.


	20. Ch 20 A Different Christmas

Hey, guys! So I'd just like to thank all of my reviewers for their wonderful support and feedback. Thank you to _SuperNatural1985, orangeraindrop, Ashes2Dust18, Nevaeh717, ohiooriginal1, Kestarii _and _vivalajuicy94_. Your reviews mean a lot and help me to stay motivated and to keep writing Kim's story.

**This story picks up throughout SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Struggling. I strongly suggest that you read it before starting on this chapter =)**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge _and_ Aftermath.

Ch 20 A Different Christmas

I stared down at the snow covered ground wondering how advice on a couple problem had pushed Max into telling me about his past. He'd wanted to tell me something, something about his past that explained why he wasn't allowed to go anywhere with Addison that wasn't his house or Max's. They had had a fight and Max was worried that he had lost Addison. Again. I had never expected this, though. Yes, his scars indicated a very troubled past, but this… This was so much more than I had expected and I could see why Antonio had tried to stop us. It obviously pained Max to tell me all this, but deep down I knew he was doing this because he trusted me, he really, truly trusted me.

"So, what is your advice? You know it all now, so what should I do?" he asked me once he'd told me everything. I stared at the ground, thinking. I knew he needed an answer, but I needed to process everything he had just told me. It was a lot to take in. Max was living proof that the werewolf world was an ugly place for those outside of the Pack. I was lucky to have been taken in by them, we both were. Max started walking on the trail we'd been walking on and I followed him. Once I was sure I wasn't liable to break down and cry I spoke.

"All I can say is that you might want to consider a compromise with Antonio. Ask him if you can go other places with Addison if a Pack member is there perhaps. Maybe you should also talk to Addison about some of this," I said, after giving it some thought. Max just shook his head and kicked the snow again, looking extremely frustrated.

"No, I can't tell Addison yet," he said, looking at me with a pleading look.

"Max, I've seen you and Addison and I know you love him. I can see he loves you too, but love means you need to trust the other person. Trust that Addison won't see you differently, but that he will understand you better now and be better able to deal with Antonio's rules," I said and he seemed to be thinking my words through. Not only did they love each other, but they were 'mates', they were forever, I was sure. Besides, I knew what I was talking about. I didn't feel truly accepted here until I had showed everyone just how truly broken inside I had been up until now.

"Dad won't let me tell him and every time he goes to touch me I freak out," he sighed. I laid a hand on his arm feeling compelled to reach out to him with this. He had trusted me. I had already trusted him before; it had been difficult, but I ended up telling him about my bullying. It had hurt to open the old wounds, but by doing so I had been able to help Max and earn his trust, so I didn't regret it. Now he needed me again.

"I know what you mean, Max. I haven't dated a lot of guys in my life and the ones I did didn't last long, but that's just my fault. With everything that I've been through, I've never been the most confident person. Besides, something in me knew I would never really open up to them, so I dumped them before they started getting impatient about not getting any sex," I sighed, rubbing away another tear. This was just as painful as talking about the bullying. "But now…now I feel like I need something more," I said, not sure if I wanted to elaborate. I didn't really understand it myself.

"Is that why you don't go on dates?" he asked, "Because you're looking for _the one_?" God, sometimes it scared me how smart he was, but I was glad to not have to say it myself.

"Yeah, but I guess it's just the wolf in me or maybe it's just me, I don't know," I said. It's true that I didn't go on dates. It's not like I hadn't been asked out, because I had, but I just couldn't bring myself to say yes to a guy that I knew I would end up dumping before the month was over.

"What about Reese?" he asked and I looked over at him sharply, giving him a warning look. We'd been through this. We weren't mates.

"No," I said sounding a little angrier than I had intended. "No," I repeated but softer now, letting the anger evaporate. It wasn't his fault after all. "Whatever my feelings may be for him, nothing will ever happen between us," I said and Max looked like he was about to argue but I cut him off. "We're Pack, Max. Can you even begin to imagine just how awkward it would be if it were to end badly?"

"What if it didn't end, though?" he said looking determined now, but I just shook my head.

"No, Max. Besides, he doesn't feel the same way," I said and felt my heart ache as I said this, but I knew it was true. For some reason I had always attracted the weird and the desperate, but they had been interested in a way, but I saw none of that in Reese. Just a tender look in his eyes that he reserves just for me, but it's probably just the look he reserves for his only Pack sister. I saw that Max was about to argue again, but I held my hand up. "Tell Antonio, trust me. We both know he can be a hard ass, but he loves us and wants what's best," I said, ending the discussion about Reese, he didn't seem happy about it though, but gave in. For now, at least.

"Max, thanks for trusting me enough to tell me this," I said softly. It just felt so good that he was trusting me, that my brother was trusting me. He looked at me and nodded, but then, without warning, he flung forward and hugged me. I hesitated, unaccustomed to his touch and unsure of it, but I quickly embraced him as well. If he was initiating the contact, I now knew it was a very big deal for him, so I was not going to let it go to waste. "Thanks, Max," I said when he pulled back. I was still a little surprise by his hug, but I wasn't complaining.

We walked back to the house and I wished him luck as he headed to talk to Antonio. Everything worked out. Antonio accepted the compromise that Max and Addison could go anywhere as long as someone accompanied them. Addison came by later that night to talk to Max. Max told me once Addison had left that he'd told him everything as well, but that Antonio had forbidden it so he'd disobeyed him. I waved away the disobedience, making him promise to not go against Tonio again without talking to me first. He agreed.

Later that night I lay in bed with Reese. From the moment I walked through the back door with Max he knew that something was up. I'd muttered a 'later' and he'd held his peace until he had me alone in my room. I told him everything Max had told me and, just like I thought, he knew all about it but he hadn't been allowed to tell me. I didn't hold it against him, though. He'd kept his word to Antonio and I respected that. He was silent as I vented out my feelings about Max's ordeal, shedding more tears into his chest and shoulders, but he didn't complain. He just let me be upset. Now he held me firmly against him, comforting me beyond words.

I curled up against him, cursing the universe and god for having put Max through his hell. Now that my sadness had passed, it gave way to anger. Pure, blinding anger. It was just so unfair that Max had had to go through that. I had hated my life, but I'd always known that I could have had it worse. Max was living proof of that. Rage boiled underneath the surface as I thought through what Max had told me, specifically what those men had done to him. Reese tightened his grip on me and I inhaled deeply, trying to calm the storming wolf that wanted to break out and avenge her brother, but I managed to hold her down. They'd abused my brother in every possible way and I was somewhat glad that the perpetrators were already dead. I'd hate to have to go looking for them now to avenge my brother, though it would have brought me much satisfaction. Though, come to think of it, I'm sure the Pack would have enacted the revenge long before I even had the chance. My bloodlust scared me a little, but I knew it was the wolf and its need to protect. Still, I felt a certain satisfaction at knowing that Max had had his revenge. No, it didn't scare me to know that he had killed someone or many someone's, he was my brother.

Max had trusted me with his past. It was still hard to believe to be honest. I knew he knew something about mine as well, but I would talk about it with him when I had the chance. He deserved to know, after all, he already knew about my bullying. Our relationship was solidifying and he was starting to call me his sister now. One day soon we would be able to completely trust each other, I hoped.

Despite everything Max had told me, I couldn't help but feel a little content. He had trusted me with this, willingly trusted me. Right now, I couldn't care less if in less than a week's time, he gave me a cookie for Christmas. This was the best Christmas present I could have ever asked for. Max's trust, he's real trust. He had come to me with a problem and asked my advice, like a true brother.

* * *

><p>I was pulled from behind and fell to the floor, landing on my ass in a sea of gold and red garlands. I growled playfully and jumped up, running towards Noah, but slipped and slid to him instead. I clumsily tackled him and we fell to the floor, laughing. He went for my sides as I straddled him and he tried to tickle me, but I grabbed his arms and pinned them over his head. With one hand I held them tight and with the other I tickled him mercilessly. The sound of our laughter brought the rest of the men running.<p>

I was caught from behind and someone pulled me to my feet. One whiff told me it was Nick. As he pulled me away from Noah, Reese and Max sprang forward and assaulted him, though the tickling fest soon turned into a wrestling match with Noah and Max against Reese.

"Guys, unless you want to go out and cut down another tree, I'd cut it out," Nick called and immediately they all froze. I chuckled and bent to pick up the fallen garland. That morning we had all gone out into the woods in search of the perfect tree for the living room. Apparently, perfect meant walking into the deepest, darkest and furthest part of the woods there ever was. And it had snowed. Nothing against snow, I love it; it's the cold that gets to me. Even after living here for seven years, I was still a little adverse to the cold whether. I much preferred the warm sun. Reese shared my thoughts on this, but he was the one doing all the bitching and moaning about the cold on our hike, I wisely kept my mouth shut. Good thing too, because he ended up eating a lot of snow because of his complaints.

I walked over to the tree and gestured to Max for him to help me. He nodded, smiling, and together we got the gold garland on. Reese and Noah came over as well and finished adding the last of the ornaments. Finally, we laid out the lights and gently put them on the tree.

"Looks amazing," Antonio said and I turned to see him come into the living room. I smiled at him when I caught his gaze. Lately I'd been smiling a lot. More than I ever had before Christmas. I was still nervous, _very_ nervous, but I was also happy. My new family had done a million and one things to make me feel good about these holidays and it was working. Last night, the guys had made me sit through a marathon of corny Christmas movies, making me laugh and smile and just have a good time. And I loved them for it. Yes, I really did love them. All of them.

I looked over at the large fireplace in the corner and saw the stockings hanging over the mantelpiece. I had filled with happiness when I saw mine with my name embroidered in gold. Somehow having your stocking hung up with those of your family screamed of acceptance and love. Nick had made fun of me because it wasn't a tradition I had ever done before. Sure, I'd hung stockings from something resembling a mantelpiece at home in Michigan and even back in Australia, but they had never been filled with anything as was the tradition here. I was suddenly brought out of my thoughts when I was caught from behind.

"Come on," Nick said as he hoisted me up into his arms. I yelped as he cradled me and he motioned to Reese.

"What are you doing?" I cried as Reese took half of my weight in his arms and with Nick's help they both lifted me up towards the massive tree.

"Stop squirming, Kim. You have to put the star on top of the tree. You did do this tradition, right?" Nick asked from below me as I sat with half my ass on his shoulder and the other half on Reese's.

"Very funny, _Nicholas_," I said, pronouncing his name with a Spanish accent, making it sound like it would in Italian. "I'm not going to put the star on top. Max should do it," I said and looked down at him.

"No, you should," he said and picked the star out of the box, handing it to me. "Besides, I did it last year," he smiled. I considered him for a moment.

"If you're sure…," I said and he nodded, grinning. I took a deep breath and leaned forward, the guys balancing me precariously between the two of them. Even with the extra height the guys gave me, I barely reached the top. Once I had put the shining golden star in its place, Reese stepped back and I would gave tumbled to the floor if he hadn't caught me in his arms.

"Fall much?" Reese asked, raising his eyebrow and sliding me a grin as he held me in his arms. I scowled at him and moved away, only to be tackled by him, another tickle battle ensuing, though we were forced to move it out of the living room when Max and Noah joined us.

Christmas was only a few days away and the guys were making it their mission to make me have as much fun as possible. We baked, a lot, almost destroying the kitchen when a flour/egg/milk throwing battle arose. We spent the rest of the day cleaning the kitchen, though none of us regretted it. We had no cookies that day, however. I learned how to snowshoe thanks to Noah and we had more snowball fights than I could count. Without a doubt, these were probably the best holidays I had ever had. But Christmas had yet to come.

"Kim, out," Max said the moment I walked into the kitchen. I glared at him, but I'm not sure he saw it as he determinedly stuffed the turkey.

"I want to help," I said, crossing my arms over my chest in a very Max like gesture. Max turned to me and raised his eyebrow at my posture.

"Out, Kim. Reese is going to help me," he said and turned his back to me. I sighed out loud now, frustrated with my little brother, my only little brother.

"I'm a better cook than him. Come on, Max. It's Christmas," I said just as the door swung open and Reese came in with Nick.

"I do believe that's a lie, crow eater," Reese grinned. I scowled at him and left the kitchen. As the door shut behind me, I heard Nick laughing. Honestly, I just wanted to help. I needed to take my mind off of the fact the tonight was Christmas Eve. The first Christmas Eve I wouldn't be spending with my parents and sister, but the first one in a while where I would be with a family I loved.

I wandered, heading towards the music room when I heard the sound of a gunshot going off and the unmistakable sound of death. Ah, someone was playing a video game, a violent video game. Then again, aren't they all nowadays? I followed the sound of more shooting and found Noah in the games room, playing Call of Duty; I didn't know which one, though.

"Hey," I said as I sat down on the couch beside him. He returned the greeting and continued to play. I curled up against the arm rest and watched in silence, quite content to observe how he killed and wrecked havoc in some unknown city. I smiled as he took an RPG and destroyed a tank. When he died, he glanced at me and frowned.

"What's up?" he asked, worry flooding his voice. I mentally sighed. Trust Noah to know something was wrong. Of course, my anxiety levels had probably alerted him. "It's your family, isn't it?" I looked at him sharply. I took in his slight frown that showed his worry and his posture, slightly twisted towards me, leaning forward, waiting for when I needed comforting. Noah was an awesome guy and he was always there if I needed to talk. I didn't do it often—I hated to burden others with my worries and problems—but I knew that if someone understood what I was going through, it was most probably the guy in front of me.

"Yeah," I said, pulling my knees up, "I just… It's different this year, you know? But it's a good different and I'm not…I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel. I mean, isn't Christmas supposed to be the time of the year you spend with your family?" I said softly. Noah sidled over to me and laid an arm over my shoulders.

"Kim, it's okay to feel happy. You weren't happy with them, I wasn't happy with mine either. I'm happy now with this family. This is my family now and it's yours as well. I don't feel bad for leaving my mother and stepfather behind, you shouldn't either. They're not worth it, beautiful," he said firmly. It was rare for Noah to speak of his family. He hadn't spoken about them with me since he had offered to speak about my family situation when I first arrived. I hadn't known he'd had a stepfather as well.

"You had a stepfather too, huh?" I asked as I leaned into him, my head coming to rest on his chest as he wrapped both his arms around me now.

"Yeah. He wasn't…he wasn't a good person," he said gently, but I heard the pain in his voice.

"He hurt you?" I asked without thinking and mentally kicked myself, but Noah just nodded against my head. I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks, but I ignored them. "You know, it's funny that stepmothers are portrayed as the bad guys, I mean, stepfathers are just as bad," I said and was satisfied to hear him chuckle slightly.

"We were just always arguing, you know? My mother especially, even on Christmas and…," he trailed off and I pulled away from him, looking at him as I wiped away my tears.

"My mother told me last year that I had ruined our Christmas because I started crying when my stepfather called me fat in front of his friends. But you're right. They're not worth it. This is our family now," I said. Noah looked shocked at my confession, but he nodded all the same. "Please tell me this game has a co-op mode," I said, trying to not only change the subject, but also try to distract ourselves for a while. Noah nodded again, his grin sliding into place now. "Good." I got up, grabbed the other controller and sat back down beside him.

We had been murdering our enemies and exploding large objects, such as tanks and federal buildings, for a few hours when Antonio came into the room and asked us to set the table. Anxious and nervously, I accompanied Noah to the dining room and we set the table with the special china the Sorrentinos reserved for Christmas. No, it did not have Rudolf painted on the plates. The china was an elegant white with rose vines wrapping around the edges. I'm quite sure Nick picked it out.

"It's going to be okay, Kim," Noah said when we were almost done. I nodded, but I wasn't really sure about his words. I was just so nervous. Somehow spending Christmas with my new family was like a checkpoint. Once I passed this point, there was no going back, not that I wanted to, but I knew this moment was decisive. This would mark the beginning of my new family in a way I barely understood, but I just knew it. Then there was the fact that I was scared silly about tomorrow.

I hated getting presents because I hated the time you spent from the moment you buy it to the moment the person opens it worrying if they're going to like it or not. It's probably a silly thing to fret about, but it was important to me. Though Nick had helped me choose, I had made the final call. God, please just let them like the presents.

"Kim, what's wrong?" I heard Reese's voice ask from behind me once the table was set. I mentally sighed and turned around to face him, leaning against the table behind me. I saw Noah watching us and when Reese looked at him, he bowed his head submissively and left the room, leaving us alone.

Ever since I had come to live here, I had been able to start seeing a hierarchy within the Pack. Though Antonio had told me that everyone was equal within the Pack, my wolf knew better. She helped me see the dominance and submission of the wolves around me. Reese was older than Max, Noah and me so technically he was supposed to be higher up in the Pack than us. All three of us were supposed to submit to him and Max and Noah did just that, I didn't. Not because I didn't want to but because Reese never lets me submit to him. He always bows his head before I even have the chance. I still had no idea what to make of this.

"Christmas is wrong," I whispered eventually and looked down at the floor, biting my lip. I was always truthful with Reese, no matter what we were talking about and he was in return which I really appreciated. Before I could say anything else, Reese had me in his arms. I instantly fell into them. I loved that the wolf allowed us to have this contact. His closeness allowed me to drink in his scent which immediately soothed me. I still had no idea why his scent affected me like this but I was glad it did.

"I spoke with Nick and Noah, Kim. This is going to be a great Christmas. I promise," he whispered into my ear. I nodded against his chest, not really caring that the others had told him what was eating at me. I would have preferred to tell him myself, though. I could now hear the others coming towards us from down the hall and Reese could too. He pulled away and kissed me lightly on the cheek just as the others came in, bringing the scents of dozens of different foods with them.

The food was delicious—we had the best werewolf chefs in existence, I was sure—but I had to force the food down. My stomach did not feel like cooperating, it really didn't. Despite everyone's reassurance that this would be a great Christmas, I was still nervous. I ate the minimum I could get away with without raising eyebrows, but both Noah and Reese knew the current state of my nerves. Noah gave me discreet looks throughout the entire meal, though Reese did most of the work for him, filling my plate up the moment it was empty. I had to work hard to eat it all, but they were eventually satisfied. I felt like I was going to be sick. I swear that I never thought I'd ever feel like I didn't want to eat something once I'd become a werewolf. I was just always hungry. Not now, though.

After some coffee and tea, I got up with Noah to start clearing the table, but Max immediately stood and tried to get me to sit back down.

"Just because Antonio calls me 'princess' doesn't mean I am one, Maximus," I said as I collected the plates. He started arguing, but I cut him off with a glare. He submitted to my gaze—I was older so I was higher up than him—as Nick and Reese tried to camouflage their laughs as coughs, but they didn't do a very good job at it. I caught Max scowling at them as I walked out the dining room with Noah in tow. Honestly, sometimes the guys' over-protectiveness sent me over the edge. But sometimes, most of the time, I basked in the joy of having a family that cared so much about me.

"Jeez, you got the werewolf glare down pat," Noah chuckled as we walked into the kitchen. I shrugged and put the plates down by the sink. Before I could even make a move to start cleaning them, however, Noah took my hand and dragged me out the kitchen. I mentally sighed and let him do as he wished. Men. Noah didn't lead me back to the dining room, though, but to the living room.

"Noah, why…?" I started asking as we entered the room. I froze, bringing Noah to an abrupt halt. I numbly felt a tug on my hand, but I stayed where I was, transfixed by what I was seeing. Everyone was here and all the presents had been laid out under the tree. "What…?" I tried to ask but barely managed to make a sound.

"Come on, sweetie," Nick said and pulled on my arm, taking me over to the couch. I sat on the couch obediently, only somewhat aware that Reese was beside me as Antonio stepped forward with my stocking. He held it out for me, but all I did was stare. I heard Nick sigh from somewhere behind me. "We're not going to go out looking for Santa, hun, so you should just take it and look inside." Slowly, I lifted my hand and took the stocking. I looked down at it as I laid it on my lap, gazing at my name embroidered on it.

"W-why?" I managed to ask and looked up to see Max and Noah on the floor with their stockings in their laps as well, but they were watching me intently so the stockings were untouched. Well, Max was touching his. He was fingering his name that had been stitched onto it, but he was watching me, so I suspect he was doing this subconsciously. I swerved my gaze to Antonio and Nick, focusing my question on them. Why were they doing this? I suddenly realized that music was playing softly in the background.

"Because we decided this was one tradition we could definitely change. I for one much prefer to open my presents early," Nick grinned. Despite his words, I knew why they had done this. I had told them that one of my happiest memories was a Christmas where I'd run around the house with my grandmother, chasing Santa while the presents were piled under the tree by my uncle. We had always opened our presents on Christmas Eve, even after we had moved to the States. They did this for me; they wanted me to be happy, to feel a part of this family.

So many emotions assaulted me in that moment that all I could do was cry. Immediately, Reese moved over to me and wrapped his arms around me. Between tears, I saw Noah and Max get up and come over to me and I could feel Antonio's hand on my shoulder. It didn't take me very long to snap out of it and pull away from Reese.

"What are you all waiting for?" I asked shakily, but smiling all the same. Nick chuckled, shaking his head, and went to sit on the couch in front of mine and Reese's. Noah and Max went back to sit on the floor, but not before giving me a reassuring smile each, which I happily returned. I then felt Antonio kiss me gently in my hair and he moved towards Nick, sitting down beside him. Once he was in place, I felt all eyes turn on me. I flushed and looked down at my stocking just as Antonio murmured something and I heard the boys start with their stockings with so much ripping and tearing, you'd think they were ripping a deer apart.

I glanced at Reese beside me and he smiled down at me with the familiar tenderness in his eyes that made my insides squirm. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, and plunged my hand into the stocking that felt like it was going to burst. I wrapped my fingers around the first little box I encountered and pulled it out. It was a Tiffany box. I opened it to find a simple silver chain like the one I was wearing right then with a shining silver charm to match. And not just any charm, a wolf charm. I shot a look at Nick, knowing full well who was behind this. He didn't even try to put on his poker face.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," he managed to say in between his bursts of laughter. "I just…thought you'd…like something other than that…beetle," he gasped. I glared at him, but it just sent him into another fit of laughter.

"I got this at the British Museum, and I wear it all the time because it holds good memories," I said gently. Nick calmed down immediately and nodded, looking away. He hadn't known, no one had, so it wasn't his fault. "But…I think its time to start making new memories, don't you think?" All eyes turned to me again and I caught everyone's smiles. I pulled my hands behind my neck and unhinged the chain, letting it fall into my lap. I went to grab the Tiffany box, but it was gone. A throat clearing from beside me told me exactly where it was. I turned to Reese and he held out his hand, gesturing that he would put the necklace on. Okay, then.

I turned my back to him, still feeling everyone's eyes on me, well, us. I heard another murmur from Antonio which was once again followed by the sound of objects moving within the large stockings. As I looked at the doorway, I saw Reese's hands come over my head, holding the chain between them. I had to suppress the shiver that ran through me as his fingers came into contact with my neck. When he was done, he pulled away without a word, gently brushing the sensitive skin on the side of my neck. I turned back to face the room, but everyone was quite occupied with their stockings. Without looking at Reese, I continued on with my own sack o' gold.

By the time I had emptied out my stocking, I was the proud owner of many new video games—some that included guns, swords and other assassinating equipments, and some that did not—, a lot more Tiffany jewellery—most of which, Nick assured, would go with just about any of my hundreds of outfits—, a handmade wood and glass jewellery box, Blu-Rays of my favourite movies and several books. As I stared between the pile and the stocking, I wondered how the hell it had all fit in there. It felt weird to be getting presents out of a stocking, to be honest, instead of unwrapping them, but I think this is a tradition I could get used to.

We then moved onto the presents and the butterflies in my belly came to life. God, I hated this part. I watched as gifts were taken from under the tree and passed around and before I noticed, I had five beautifully and artistically wrapped gifts sitting before me. All around me I could hear the sound of paper being ripped and exclamations of joy—mostly from Max—when the present beneath the paper was revealed. With a trembling hand, I took the first, and without a doubt the smallest, gift from the top. It was another jewellery box, but one look inside told me that this wasn't Nick's gift.

It was a diamond-cut textured cuff bracelet with a thin black ion-plated trim. I took it in my hands to inspect it better and found an inscription on the inside. 'Love is louder'. I lifted my gaze sharply to Max and found him watching me. The moment our eyes met, he shook his head and swerved his gaze beside me. Slowly, I turned to face Reese and just stared at him, completely and utterly speechless, and he stared right back. All I could hear was the soft sound of the music in the background as I fell into the blue infinite oceans that were his eyes.

"Thank you," I whispered, almost breathlessly. He smiled and nodded, still holding my gaze.

"Same to you," he said and lifted the bracelet I had gotten him in his hand. I flushed and nodded, realizing that this looked an awful lot like a couple's exchange of presents and that it must seem so weird that we'd gotten each other the same thing. I was so going to kill Max, but with love of course. I know knew what it felt like to have a pestering little brother. I loved him the same, though.

I turned away from Reese, focusing on the pile of presents again that had grown slightly while I'd been lost in Reese's blue gaze. I chanced a look at Max and found him smiling stupidly. Yep, he was so going to pay.

After that first present, things went more smoothly. To my utter relief, everyone seemed to like my gifts. Once every present had been opened, it was time for a late night snack. Reese and Nick went for the drinks and food while Noah sidled over to Antonio, speaking with him as the dogs played with the wrapping paper at their feet, shredding it to pieces. I dropped to the floor beside Max, smiling deviously and leaned into his personal space.

"You're going to pay, little brother," I whispered into his ear, making sure it was low enough that Antonio and Noah wouldn't hear. When I pulled back, Max just smiled at me and seemed…happy. I moved forward again, pretending to want to whisper something else into his ear, and grabbed him around the waist, pushing him forward and launching a surprise tickle attack. Noah soon joined us, but he took Max's side. He tried to get me off of Max, tickling my sides, but unfortunately for him, Antonio took my side and hauled him off his feet, tickling his sides furiously. I heard them fall somewhere behind me as I kept my hold on Max. The dogs jumped up at me as I held Max, obviously very protective of him, but one low growl from me made them stop and huddle together, practically glaring at me.

Reese and Nick came back in and I was distracted for a split second that Max used to his advantage. He buckled under me and I lost my grip on his hands, which he flung down, finding my sides and tickling like a maniac. We rolled over the paper strewn floor, laughing while trying to get the upper hand. We stopped our battling as soon as the smell of cookies reached our noises and our hunger won out.

We huddled around the coffee table, just chatting and talking as we munched, enjoying one another's company. Nick tried to hand me a beer, but I refused it.

"You're allowed to drink alcohol, sweetie," Nick said, shoving the glass bottle my way.

"I don't drink," I said, looking down at the table, more out of habit than of fear of being judged.

"Have you ever tried it?" Nick asked and I looked up to see him raising an eyebrow at me. I knew full well that he knew that any nineteen year old would have drunk alcohol at least once.

"Of course, but I don't like it. Don't get the point either," I said. All gazes turned to me with that one.

"What do you mean?" Max asked and I was happy to see that he really just wanted to know my reasons and the he didn't seem to be judging me about this.

"Well, I just kind of hate the fact that people drink to be able to have a good time. It's like without alcohol, there's no fun. I also don't like how people use alcohol to be someone they aren't, and they do it either for kicks or to get laid," I said, slipping my gaze to the table.

"Suddenly, I love you a lot more," I heard Antonio say. Looking up, I found him beaming at me. Good, I didn't want to think that he was one of those people. The guys, however, were silent. Damn, I should have dropped it with an 'it's a me thing' or something. God knows, it was very likely that they had done what I hated more than once. Everyone except Max that is. I knew he wasn't allowed to drink, but I suspect it had something to do with the meds he took.

"Have you ever gotten drunk?" Nick suddenly asked. I shook my head, holding his gaze now. He seemed surprised by this. "Never?" he asked incredulously now. Again, I shook my head. Sure, I'd tried alcohol, but in small doses, never too much at the same time. I did not want to become that which I hated. "What about New Years? Champagne?"

"Yes, but only because its tradition," I said, shrugging and picking up a gingerbread man Max had helped me make. Silence fell over the room then. I know it's weird that I don't drink because I don't like to drink, not because I'm allergic to it or something, but I didn't think it was such a big deal, or was it? Suddenly, Max saved me from the silence and asked about the beetle I had worn around my neck until just an hour ago.

"It's not a beetle, it's a scarab," I said and the look on Max's face told me he understood, the look Noah's told me he didn't. "Ever seen The Mummy? Those creepy huge bugs that ate everyone?" I asked and Noah grinned, nodding, understanding now. I then told them why exactly I had had the creepy man-eating bug hanging from my neck for the past year.

I had gotten it last year, in London, on a trip I'd gone on with Abbey. I'd been working in Spain, the last year I would be, and I'd been making shifts, changing days, anything and everything to have the last two weeks of August work free. Somehow I managed it and when Abbey came, we set out on our European trip. We'd only known each other for six months at the time, but we were already as close as sisters. We started our trip in Barcelona, spending only three days there before heading to Paris for five days. Honestly, five days is not enough if you want to see the Louvre through and through, but we got to see most of it. We then spent the last six days of our trip in London, moving from one museum to the next. On the last day of our trip, we visited the British Museum for one last time and we got the scarab charms as a memento.

"You speak Spanish, right, Kim?" Max asked. I nodded to him, smiling now. "Fluently?" Again, I nodded and he smiled. "Can you teach me?"

"Er, sure, why not?" I said, his request catching me completely off guard. Max beamed at me now and I couldn't help but smile back. Conversation started up again after that and it lasted until way past midnight. Still, we weren't tired when Antonio and Nick declared they were going to bed. Tomorrow we were driving down to Stonehaven and they would be doing the driving. The rest of us, however, could sleep on the way there, so we predictably went to the games room to try out our new games.

I was trailing just behind Noah and Max when Reese grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back. He spun me around so I was facing him, but he kept his hands on me, closing the distance between us. My heart started beating frantically at his closeness, but I forced my breathing to remain normal, well, as normal as possible.

"You know we don't care that you don't drink, right?" he said, looking down at me, studying me. I nodded and was about to speak when he said, "Just remember," he whispered as he reached for my wrist where the bracelet was. I reached out with my other hand and fingered his bracelet as well as I nodded and leaned into him. It was more out of instinct than need, but he wrapped his arms around me nonetheless, embracing me and kissing me gently on the head. Of course I knew. I jus needed to be reminded. I suspect it would be like that for a while, but my bracelet would remind me daily from now on. After a few minutes, I pulled away and smiled up at him before turning and heading over to the games room.

"Wait," Reese said as he tugged gently on my hand. I turned back to look at him and saw his breath-taking grin playing on his lips. "Do you think you could teach me Spanish as well?" he asked.

"Er…okay," I said uncertainly. I was no teacher and now two people wanted me to teach them my native language. Well, I'd give it my best, I suppose. Reese's grin broadened and he bent down, kissed me on the cheek and led me into the games room.

I found that my brothers had put in one of my games—well, it had been a gift for me, but it was all of ours now—, _Assassin's Creed: Revelations_. All assassination and a lot of blood. I smiled at Noah and Max, taking the controller they gave me, and sat down. This was going to be fun.

* * *

><p>Reese pushed my flank with his muzzle, telling me to move, but I didn't. Something was off, but I don't know what. I'd caught a scent that had screamed danger, but I couldn't catch it anymore. I turned to face the wind and started moving towards it. Reese jumped in front of me and growled, enforcing his dominance for the first time. I just growled back, though. This was important and I would not submit.<p>

The harsh cold wind started up again and I caught the scent this time and it was undeniable. Werewolf and it wasn't Pack. Reese smelled it as well and stiffened, spinning around to face the wind as well. In that moment, Elena appeared with Clay by her side. I made a show of sniffing the air, but they were old werewolves, well, older, and they knew how to use their noses. Immediately, Elena came forward and pushed us away. I obeyed now. She was Alpha-elect, it was best not to test her dominance.

Reese and I followed Elena back towards the house at a full-out sprint while Clay ran in the other direction and went to get the others. We were back to where we had Changed within minutes. Quickly, I found my thicket and forced the Change back. The hunt was over and we had been heading to a clearing to sleep for a while when I had caught the scent. I'd stopped in my tracks, trying to catch it again, when Reese had appeared and tried to get me to move. Since I was exhausted from the Change from human to wolf and the run, the Change back to human form took longer than it normally did.

As soon as the Change was over, I dressed quickly, despite my exhaustion and the last remnants of pain from the Change. I stepped out of my thicket to find Reese waiting for me. I barely had the first foot out of the thicket before he was on me, grabbing my hand and dragging me through the forest towards the house. We ran and when we were almost to the house, I caught Elena's scent heading in the same direction. She had run ahead of us to check on her children no doubt.

We walked into Stonehaven and went straight to the study where we had left Jeremy, Jaime and the twins when we'd all gone on our run. Inside the study, Jeremy motioned for us to take a seat while we waited patiently for the others. Thankfully, it didn't take them long to arrive, but the moment they did, Clay and Elena took off.

I understood that they were going to go take care of the mutt, permanently. He'd trespassed and come dangerously close to their children; they couldn't let it happen again. I also knew that the reason no one had smelt the scent sooner was because, though we had been here for days now, this was the first run we went on, so no one had gone out that far to where we had been.

Antonio came over to sit beside me while Reese sat on my other side. I felt their protectiveness wash over me and I was thankful for it, though I didn't need it. I was fine. Nothing had happened and Elena and Clay would take care of it. So why could I smell Antonio's anxiety stream off of him? It wasn't like him to be anxious, well, he never lets us smell or see it.

Half an hour later, they returned, empty handed. The mutt had escaped. They'd followed his scent trail from where I'd caught it to the highway and then it disappeared into the stench of gasoline. When they followed it back to the house, they found that the mutt had stood at the edge of the woods. His scent had been hidden by the snow that had fallen in the last few days. Clay was pissed, very pissed, and oh God, it was scary. Thankfully, his children didn't see this because they were upstairs with Jaime.

"It's Turner, isn't it?" I asked once Elena had finished telling us what had happened. She stared at me and reluctantly, she nodded. I nodded as well and kept my eyes on the floor. It had seemed like the obvious choice to me. The one mutt that had managed to dodge and play with them had been the one that had bitten me. It would explain why Antonio was holding onto me with a death grip from the moment Elena had said that Turner had come near the house, and why the mutt had come and gone without seeking a challenge or death. He had come for information and he had it. The trail was about three days old. We'd been here for five. Turner now knew that I was alive and that I was with the Pack.

Should this scare me? I think so, but it didn't. It was just so hard to feel scared in a room full of werewolves, whose protectiveness was encompassing me like the air I breathed. Every wolf in here was dominant, some not as much as others, but it was all there. The need, the instinct to protect and I could feel it. How could I feel scared when I felt how the wolves around me wanted to protect me? I couldn't, though I knew I should.

Reese POV

I'm going to kill Turner. I have no idea how I'm going to do it but I will. He was after Kim, my wolf mate, so he would die. He would hurt her if he ever got his hands on her, we all knew it. He was insane and was convinced she was someone she wasn't, his dead lover. I would kill him before he ever got the chance to touch her; I'd make sure of it.

I leaned against the counter as I watched Kim. Despite my worries and fear, I could still enjoy the view that her curvy figure provided. She was silently making herself a snack, probably choosing to ignore my presence. I couldn't blame her. I'd practically glued myself to her from the moment I knew that Turner had been the one in the woods. Thankfully she didn't complain, though she made sure to keep my wolf in check. He was going berserk of course and wanted nothing more than going after the mutt. Kim may not be as dominant as me—not yet at least—but my wolf listened to her and that was all it needed to calm down, all he needed was our mate.

Not for the first time that day I felt the need to touch her. My senses were on high alert for danger despite the fact that Clay himself was doing a sweep of the area before we huddled down for the night. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. She dropped the sandwich in her hands—only half made—and leaned back against me, placing her hands over my arms.

"I'll be okay, Reese," she said gently. I nodded as I leaned against her chest, breathing in her sweet scent and letting it placate the wolf and letting him know that our mate was safe. Kim at least understood the protective side of our wolves, mainly because she was dominant as well and also felt that pull to protect, but this wasn't the wolf's protectiveness, not entirely. This was me needing to feel that she was safe in my arms.

To my surprise, Kim was fine. I'd half expected her to be scared of the thought of having Turner so near her, but no. When I'd asked her why, she'd just said that she was safe here. I could understand that. Almost the entire Pack was here and she could feel its protectiveness which didn't allow her or her wolf to be afraid.

"Kim," I heard Antonio call from behind us. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling Kim one last time so I wouldn't growl at Antonio for interrupting my time with Kim, and turned to face him, still holding onto Kim with an arm around her waist. Max followed him in and he immediately came over to us and took Kim's hand. He glanced at me and submitted before letting go. But Kim wasn't done.

She leaned over to Max and nuzzled my cheek to his, reassuring his wolf and him that she was fine. Honestly sometimes she acted like she had been born a werewolf when she did this or when she allowed me to be protective of her, but I wasn't entirely sure if she realized that she was channelling the wolf right then. She pulled away from him, but she held his hand firmly in hers. Max may be smaller than the rest of us, but he was just as dominant and protective. He was especially protective of Kim for some reason. I was glad, though. That was just one more person that would protect her should harm and danger come calling.

"It's almost midnight," Antonio said, grinning. Kim smiled her beautiful smile, looking a little relieved. Yeah, we had all been pretty on top of her since Clay and Elena had come back, so she'd been drowning in our coddling for most of the day. She just probably relieved that Antonio didn't feel that need. No, not true, he did feel it, but he could see that she had enough of it for now.

She started following Max out, but I held her back. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow, but I just grinned at her and looked over at Antonio by the fridge. Kim followed my gaze in time to see Tonio open the fridge and extract a large see-through Tupperware container. Even before he opened it, Kim was already smiling. Inside were grapes so we could do the tradition she had done with her family. I knew that the memories she had of her family, at least the good ones, were from her family in Australia. I hadn't even had to ask if we could do the Christmas Eve tradition. Antonio had already decided to do it from the moment he saw her smiling as she'd told us about her customs.

I beamed as Kim went over to Antonio and started helping him prepare them. She was so happy right then and the smile on her face filled me with joy. I promised myself then and there that I would make sure to make her smile as much as possible for as long as I could. She deserved to be happy. We headed out of the kitchen and for once she took my hand in hers and led me out. I smiled and knew that this was going to be a memorable New Year, for both of us.


	21. Ch 21 One and the Same

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge _and_ Aftermath.

**Lightweight – Demi Lovato**

The slightest words you said  
>Have all gone to my head<br>I hear angels sing in your voice  
>When you pull me close<br>Feelings I've never known  
>They mean everything<br>And leave me no choice

Light on my heart, light on my feet  
>Light in your eyes I can't even speak<br>Do you even know how you make me weak?

I'm a lightweight  
>Better be careful what you say<br>With every word I'm blown away  
>You're in control of my heart<br>I'm a lightweight  
>Easy to fall, easy to break<br>With every move my whole world shakes  
>Keep me from falling apart<p>

Ch 21 One And The Same

Kim POV

"You know you cheated, don't you?" I asked, grinning down at him. Reese raised an eyebrow, trying and failing to look surprised.

"Oh? How so?" he chuckled as his hands slid up my hips to my sides and started tickling. I grabbed his wrists and pushed them up, forcing me to lie over his body as I pinned his hands over his head.

"Max helped you," I said and fingered the bracelet on his wrist. He hadn't taken it off since Christmas. I hadn't taken mine off either.

"He helped you too," Reese said, chuckling slightly. I made a face down at him.

"Not really. He wanted me to get you dog tags." Now it was his turn to make a face. I chuckled and let go of his hands, rolling off him and falling onto the bed beside him. Seconds later, he curled up beside me, taking a hold of my waist as per usual. "You do realize you've pretty much taken over my room and I have yet to be in your _house_?"

"You've never asked so I thought you just didn't want to see it," he mumbled into my shoulder. I growled softly and he chuckled, his laugh vibrating through me.

We'd been back for a week now, the holidays long over. Max was downstairs with Addison somewhere, most likely in the theatre room which was their usual plan for a Friday night. Nick and Noah were probably in their rooms getting ready to go out. Reese had tried to get me to come out of my room, since I'd been in it for most of the day, reading a new book I'd gotten for Christmas. Unable to persuade me to come out, he came in. Now he lay beside me and seemed quite content to stay there. I wanted him to stay there as well, but I knew he shouldn't. So as soon as I heard Nick calling Noah and telling him that he was ready to go, I told Reese to go.

"No," he said firmly without even moving. I sighed and sat up, turning to face him.

"Come on, Reese. You haven't gone out since I came here. You really should go," I said, keeping my gaze averted from his. It pained me to say this, it really did, and I could hear my wolf growling at me, but I had to do this. I could only imagine what would happen to a man that was celibate for almost two months or more if he kept this up.

"Kim, I don't want to go," he said, sitting up now. As I studied my bed cover, I saw him take my hand in his and squeeze lightly. I yanked my hand away from him. No. He had to go.

"Please, Reese. You're really telling me you don't want to go out and have sex with a stranger?" I growled. Oh, shit. Did I just say that? From the look on Reese's face, I did indeed. Anger and hurt flared through his eyes, but he quickly doused them, his face turning serious.

"Do you want me to go?" he asked softly. Oh, damn. I had to work hard to keep my face straight then.

"That's not the point. You have to go. You have…"—oh, God, how was I supposed to say this?—"…um, needs," I finished softly, still looking at anything that wasn't him. God, I couldn't believe I was saying this, but I felt like I needed to. I guess I felt slightly responsible for his celibacy.

"And you don't?" he asked softly. I flushed and turned my back on him. "Kim?" He sounded worried, but I ignored him. What was I supposed to say? That yes, I have needs, but, no, I've never met them? Why? Well, I'm waiting for _the_ one. Somehow, I doubted he'd take me seriously. Nowadays waiting for Prince Charming to come along was the most unrealistic thing there was. I blame Disney for my delusion. Reality, unfortunately, was to go out every weekend and fuck as many people as possible. A reality I had never been attracted to.

I felt Reese move behind me on the bed and come closer to me. Gently, he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. I closed my eyes at his touch, at his smell, at his presence, and leaned back into him. Why he was able to sooth me so was beyond me, but I couldn't help but enjoy it. No, his touch no longer made me anxious. I was way over it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he whispered into my neck. I wrapped my arms around my waist atop of his. God, he had strong arms.

"You didn't. It's just me. I…," I trailed off, really not wanting to finish that sentence. His grip on me tightened slightly as he pressed into my back and I kept my eyes closed, the wolf purring with joy.

"You've never had sex before," he whispered. Not a question. A statement. He had his head leaning against mine so I nodded gently. I felt him stiffen ever so slightly, but he quickly relaxed. We sat there in silence and all I could hear was our breathing and the sound of our pounding hearts. Suddenly, his chin left my shoulder and I felt his soft lips press against the sensitive skin on my neck. I shuddered in his arms and my heart started tripping over itself. I bit my lip to stifle my gasp as he gave me another kiss a little lower down, and another, and another.

The door suddenly flew open and I snapped my eyes open to see Nick come in, halting abruptly when he saw Reese and me. I heard a low growl come from Reese and Nick held his gaze on him. I flushed and quickly let go of Reese, moving away from his grip. Thankfully, he didn't protest and let me go. I glanced up at Nick to see him still fighting for dominance.

"We're going out," Nick said when Reese finally backed down I assume since I wasn't looking at Reese. I nodded, keeping my eyes on the floor, my cheeks feeling hot. "Perhaps you two should take Max and Addison to the movies. Give Antonio some time alone." And with that he left.

As soon as the door closed, I jumped off the bed and by the time I got to the door Reese was by my side. I slipped into the hallway and he took my hand from behind, halting and spinning me around to face him. I didn't even have time to react when he leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. The moment his lips made contact with my skin, my breath caught and my still racing heart was given a jump start. At the contact a shiver ran through me that I was unable to suppress, but Reese didn't seem to notice. He lingered on my cheek a few seconds longer before pulling away. When he did, I noticed that I had dug my nails into his shirt. Flushing, I released my grip and looked away. Seemingly unperturbed by my reaction, he tightened his grip on my hand and led me down the hall.

As he guided me down to the theatre room, I tried to clear my mind, which was still buzzing from the wave of feelings and emotions that had hit me upstairs. I'd gone from joking with him, to trying to get him to go on his fuck fest, to shying away from him at the mention of sex in my life, to letting him hold me against his body while he kissed my neck, only to be caught by Nick. Oh, God, he kissed me, well, my neck and my cheek, but still. From the way my body reacted he may as well have been kissing my lips. God, that had so never happened before.

"Max," Reese called and I noticed that we were at the theater room door. An entire minute later, the door opened and I caught a whiff of a smell that did nothing to calm me down. What the hell is that? Max appeared from behind the door and the smell became stronger. One look at his flustered face told me exactly what it was. It was the smell of arousal. I only had to glance a little lower at Max to confirm it. "You guys want to go to the movies?" Reese asked, choosing to ignore Max's glare and still holding onto my hand.

"Er, no," Max managed to say and shut the door without another word. Reese turned to me and shrugged.

"Well, we tried," he said with a small smile and started walking back down the hall, pulling me along. He led me into the living room where he finally let go of my hand and gestured for me to sit down while he looked for a movie. I sat on the couch we'd slept on the first time he'd stayed home with me.

I pulled my legs up and stared at the TV, completely lost in my thoughts. What the hell, Kim? He's your _brother_. I know he's my brother, I growled frustrated. But it's not like I can control how I react to him. I've been kissed before, not by a heap of guys but by a decent few and I have never, ever reacted like this. Hell, I could still feel my heart pumping like it was going haywire. It's Reese, damn it. I needed to figure out a way to get over him before he actually noticed how he made me feel. That would so not be good. I shivered slightly as I remembered what happened the last time I liked a guy and he found out. He was none too kind about it. Quite the opposite actually. Public humiliation they call it, I think, but if the public is the school, then I suppose it's bullying.

As the opening credits rolled, I realized that Reese was not in the room. I sighed and leaned back against the couch. Snack break of course. Werewolves could not go by the hour without eating. I relaxed as the feelings that had strummed through me dissipated, thankfully. I smelt the chocolate before I smelt him and I looked up to watch him thump down beside me.

"Thank you," I said as he handed me a mug of hot chocolate. I guess Max had made some for him and Addison and Reese had just had to warm it up. I doubt they were drinking much, though; they were probably using their mouths for more lucrative activities. I sipped the chocolate and smiled. "Hmm, chocolate is a girl's best friend."

"I thought it was diamonds," Reese chuckled. I laughed softly too and shook my head.

"Not for this girl," I said and felt him shuffle closer to me so he was leaning up against me. Though I knew I shouldn't, I pressed myself against him as well, breathing him in and letting his scent wash over me. As was custom, after the movie we fell asleep in each other's arms. Something I really shouldn't do if I wanted to get over him, but oh well.

Antonio POV

I sighed as I watched Kim sleep peacefully in Reese's arms. He was holding her against his chest in a protective fashion that did not surprise me in the least. But they weren't mates, not truly, not yet. Though I think this had more to do with Kim than with Reese. From what Nick had told me, he had caught them together, very together on various occasions, but when he caught them, Kim always shied away embarrassed. She didn't know what had happened, that much was obvious. Her wolf had taken Reese and his wolf as her mate, but Kim herself had yet to realize it and accept it. And Reese, well, Reese was holding on for now and as far as we knew, he had not had sex since he had met Kim. This worried Nick, but I told him to leave it alone. Reese wanted to wait for her and I knew he would wait for however long it took for her to accept him. They were meant to be together, after all. They were one and the same. Everything one did affected the other and vice versa. The yin and the yang, the two sides of the same coin. They complimented each other; they were one and the same.

I turned off the lights in the hallway as I exited the living room. There was not a chance in hell that they were moving tonight. They slept on the couch almost every Friday, not to mention the days when Reese went up to her room and spent the night there, something which was starting to become very, very frequent. The fact that Kim hadn't kicked him out yet was another certified sign that what was going on between them was two sided. Reese, however, was still uncertain about Kim's feelings and the fact that she shied away from him didn't help.

I went into my study and sat down at the desk, the puppies nowhere to be found. Max had already gone to bed since Addison had left about an hour ago, so the puppies must be with him. The puppies. It was still hard to believe that he had tried to give them to Kim. He had done it to prove that he was serious about accepting Kim and it worked, but his actions since then had created a bond between them that I had never expected. Yes, I'd wanted them to get along, to be friends, to be like brother and sister eventually, but they were so tight sometimes that it was hard to believe that a month ago they had barely been speaking to each other.

I smiled as I picked up the phone as I remembered what Max had done at Christmas. Sneaky brother that he is he had made sure that Kim and Reese got each other the same present. He had helped them both and thank goodness. Neither of them had known what to get the other and Reese had spent the entire morning arguing with his brothers about what he should get her.

I dialed the number for Stonehaven and waited patiently for someone to pick it up. I didn't have to wait long since they had been expecting my call.

"Hello?" I heard Jeremy answer in his typically calm voice. If he was angry, I'd never know unless I saw him. Even then it wasn't a sure bet that I'd know.

"Hey, Jer, it's me," I said softly. Elena had sent me a text earlier, asking me to call when everyone was asleep or when no one was around. The only problem to living in a house full of werewolves is the fact that private conversations can quickly become public. We talked about other things before he got to the point. I asked after the kids and Elena and Clay while he asked after all my kids, especially Max and Kim. Max because he needed to keep updated on his progress and behavior and Kim, well, because of Turner. Not that it had affected her, not in the least it seemed. She felt protected within the Pack which was only natural, considering how over-protective we all could be, especially Reese and I. But now she would have to be on alert.

"We got a letter. From Turner," Jeremy said, still talking in his calm voice and I knew he was keeping it up for my sake. He didn't want me to freak out. I wasn't, yet. "It's says that he wants Rachel back, that she belongs to him, that she's special." My grip on the phone tightened and I released it in time before I broke it. "He knows she's special because she's so in control." No. So he had seen her. I had prayed otherwise from the moment we caught his scent back at Stonehaven, but he had seen her and he knew she was different, that her control was not supposed to be as good as it is, not yet.

"He called her Rachel?" I asked, trying to focus, but anger washed over me just thinking about what would have happened to Kim if she wasn't different. I doubt she would have survived the Change, just like all those other girls who barely made it past the twenty-four hours.

"Yes, he's convinced that the girl we have is Rachel, his Rachel. He's threatened to go on a killing rampage if we don't hand her over," he said gently. "Elena and Clay are setting out tomorrow, but there's something else you should know. He knows she's not staying at Stonehaven. He knows she's with you." I almost snapped the phone in two. I took a deep breath and calmed my rage before I was forced to buy a new phone. I wasn't afraid. Turner could not touch her here. She lived in a household with five other werewolves after all. But Turner was deluded, insane. He thought Kim was Rachel. We'd known he was crazy from the moment he had set out, biting girls that looked like his dead lover.

"Do you want me to go with them?" I asked, half hoping he would say yes and half hoping he would say no. If I went with Clay and Elena, that meant leaving Kim less guarded, but I wanted, needed, to take care of this mutt myself.

"No. Kim needs you," he said softly, but the authority was there. Jeremy may be my lifelong best friend, but he was my Alpha above all else. "You need to tell her and you should tell her the truth too." I didn't have to ask what truth I needed to tell her, I knew. I needed to tell her the truth about why she must have survived the Change despite having had all the odds against her. "Or would you rather I do it?" Jeremy asked when I was quiet for too long. As Alpha he called the shots, but he always took into account what we wanted or thought, just like any good Alpha.

"No, I should tell her," I said, brushing a hand through my hair. Yes, I should tell her. She's like a daughter to me, no, she is my daughter. I have to tell her. I didn't need to ask Jeremy why we had to tell her now and not later. If for some reason—though, I prayed it would never happen—Turner were to get a hold of Kim and he told her that she was special and why, I did not want to have to go through the guilt of not having told her the truth. She deserved to know. We weren't 100% certain, but we were pretty close. Kim's survival wasn't a fluke, it was genetic. Elena was thought to have relatives in the Russian Pack, so Kim wouldn't be a unique case. Jeremy then suggested that we get tighter security. I agreed. After that we said our goodbyes.

I hung up the phone and dropped my head into my hands, letting my frustration go. Turner should have been eliminated months ago, but we had been unable to track him down. God damn it, and now he wanted Kim. Kim was safe here, though, and if Turner somehow managed to get to Kim, I knew she could more than hold her own. Hell, she had taken down all my kids, even Reese, though, they were more even matched. She still had a lot to improve and I couldn't help but agree with Clay when he suggested that she could be an enforcer in the future. She didn't hear this, I'm not sure if she was ready for it, but maybe one day she would be.

I sighed and got up, exiting the study. I went up to my room since I was not going to be talking to Kim tonight. I had no urge to start talking to her about her father and for her to see just how much I hated the man that abandoned her. As I passed Max's door, I could hear the sound of typing. I hesitated for a split second before knocking on his door and walking in. I could use some time alone with my youngest son.

Kim POV

I stared at Antonio, certain I had misheard. I had been expecting this conversation to turn up eventually. I knew Turner was out there and that he now knew I was alive and well. Not only that, but he also knew that I was living with the Sorrentinos, so we would be putting in some extra security. But this? This I had not expected.

"So if my father was a werewolf that would have increased my possibilities of surviving?" I asked gently, still uncertain. My father a werewolf? The man that had abandoned me with my mother was a werewolf?

"We are almost 100% certain that he was a werewolf, princess, and that he must have come from a long line of very strong werewolves. Although the gene doesn't pass down to women, some of it must be transmitted, the minimum at least, so when you were bitten, the gene simply needed to finish forming, not introduced," he said. I had seen that it had pained him to tell me about Turner, but it hurt him more to tell me this, like he didn't like talking about my father.

"So I survived, but how does that make me different?" I asked. He hesitated, thinking his answer through, and when it came it came tentatively.

"When someone is bitten and they survive the bite, it takes them a very long time to come to terms with what they have become. Most don't survive because of the shock that comes with the bite and the Change. If they do survive it takes them months, years even, to gain the control you've had from the very beginning," he paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Your Changes should have been uncontrollable and the wolf within you a savage beast, hungry and aggressive. But you were able to gain control over your Changes from the beginning and the wolf, though she confused you, she was mostly calm."

I dropped my gaze and stared at Antonio's desk now, absorbing what he'd just said. I was different and for once it was a good thing. I suppose that if my father was a werewolf, then I should be thankful. My Change was almost swift if what Antonio was telling me was true, which I knew it was, he would not lie to me. I guess it did make sense for my father to have been a werewolf. Was this why he left me then? I knew he'd left when my mother was still pregnant with my sister, so had he left because he didn't have any sons? Did he leave me because I was a girl? Or did he leave once he found out that he had fathered another daughter instead of the son he desired? Or for another reason entirely?

"Sweetheart?" Antonio whispered from beside me. I hadn't even noticed that he'd gotten up. I stood and fell into his embrace. I had no idea what I should be feeling, but I was grateful nonetheless. I couldn't care less if my father was a man-eating bastard or just a coward, I was just grateful, if he truly was a werewolf. I would be dead otherwise. And so what if he left me? If he hadn't, I would never have met the marvelous man that held me in his arms right now. Antonio was my father in every way that counted, not my stepfather and not my biological father.

"I love you," I whispered into his chest. For once, tears were not falling down my face. Antonio's grip on me tightened and I felt him kiss me gently on the head.

"I love you too, princess," he whispered back. I pulled away from him, taking a deep breath, and left his study. I needed to be alone for a moment so I went up to my room. When I opened the door, I found that I was not going to be alone anytime soon.

"Are you okay?" Reese asked the moment I walked into the room. I closed the door behind me and walked over to him. He'd been sitting on my bed and had gotten up when he saw my face. Trust him to know something was wrong with just one look. I sat down on my bed and he sat down too, tensing up when I didn't answer right away. I pulled my legs up off the floor, took a deep breath and told him. I told him everything Antonio had told me, including what he'd said about my father being a werewolf. Before I could stop myself, I told him about my doubts about why he had left. When I finished talking, he leaned over to me and took me in his arms. I knew that my emotions were flying under control and that he must have smelt them. Thankfully, by now everyone in the house knew that hugs were the best way to comfort me. For me, hugs said more than words, and Reese's hug was telling me that he was here for me. Just as I was breathing in his scent, he pulled away and got up, taking my hand in his and pulling me up with him.

"Come with me," he said and didn't even wait for an answer, not that he required one, I think. He led me out the room, down the stairs and out the back doors, only stopping to get our shoes on. One would think that he was bossy and possessive, but he wasn't. He was just dominant so I went along with what he wanted, unless I didn't like what he wanted then I stood my ground. I was quite certain that he was more dominant than me, but I couldn't be sure. Every time I challenged him or told him to do something, he backed down and obeyed without arguing.

As we entered the forest, I knew where he was taking me. I blinked, letting my night vision kick in, and then I saw it. The guest house, well, Reese's house, I suppose, but they always called it the guest house. Without a word, Reese opened the door and we slipped inside. It was a simple house and it looked a lot like a one bedroom apartment. Reese led me straight to the sofa in the living room. He sat first and then he pulled me to him, making me straddle him as he sat on the couch. Oh, God. Not good, definitely not good. My heart rate jumped as he pulled me to him, nuzzling my neck. I stayed statue still as I felt him breathe against the sensitive skin, making me shiver and close my eyes.

"Your father might not have left because he didn't want you, Kim," he whispered, his breath teasing my skin. I waited, unmoving, for him to continue. "The Australian Pack isn't like the American one. They practically operate like a real wolf pack and they enforce the wolf law that only the Alpha can have a mate, no one else." I felt his grip around my waist tighten substantially, but I said nothing. I'd known that there were more werewolf Packs around the world—Max was even in contact with the Russian Pack, which he had once belonged to—but Reese had never spoken about the Australian one. From the tone in his voice, I knew that his wolf was close at hand and I could feel a mix of emotions emanating from him. Anger, fear, worry, anxiety. Or maybe they were mine. I felt him breathe in again. "It's possible that they forced your father to leave or that he left to protect you from them."

I felt his fingers on my back start rubbing circles into it and I realized that I was trembling and it wasn't because of Reese. I believed what he was saying. It was more than possible for other packs to behave more like wolves than the American one does, besides, I knew Reese wasn't lying. I shifted my head slightly so I could breathe in a full blast of his scent. After a few breaths, the shaking stopped and my emotions calmed down, but my brain wouldn't shut up. Was it possible that he had left to protect us? What if he wasn't the cowardly bastard I thought him to be? Did it matter? I was never going to see him. God only knew where in the hell he was or if he was even alive. But still, it helped me to know that maybe my parents weren't as screwed up as I had always thought. Reese could be wrong, I knew, he could have left because he didn't want us, but it was a possibility.

"Thank you," I whispered, "for telling me this." I felt him nod gently against my shoulder now and then he pulled away, releasing his strong grip on me, but not letting go. I opened my eyes to look into his eyes. As I got lost in his two deep blue seas, I realized that I had my arms wrapped around his neck. Oh God, what the hell am I doing? Without warning, Reese leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek, just like yesterday. I closed my eyes at the contact which made me shiver. Goosebumps ran up my body as he lingered there and then slowly started moving down, kissing me gently as his lips lowered. Before I could stop myself, I gripped his neck harder, trying to calm my warring emotions. Reese froze suddenly and it took me less than a heartbeat to know that I'd screwed it.

I jumped off of him, his strong grip making me stumble back. I saw him get up as well, but I was already flying out the door. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Why the hell couldn't I control myself? I was able to control the wolf and not my emotions or my reactions? Damn it, he was just kissing my cheek for the love of god. The moment I reacted, I'd let him know what my feelings for him were, I was sure of it. Why would he have frozen up otherwise? Shit. I mentally kicked myself all the way up to my bedroom.

I collapsed on the bed the moment I reached my room, just wanting to disappear into it. I was a tornado of emotions in that moment. I was scared shitless of what Reese would do know that he knew what I felt for him but I was also feeling relieved about what Reese had told me. The two warring emotions just brought the need to cry. Tears were already forming when I heard someone knock on the door. I growled into the pillow out of frustration that I could not be left alone. I took a deep breath and ended up breathing in Reese's scent which was still on my bed. Well, at least it helps me to calm down. As soon as my anger receded, I sat up and called my visitor in.

"Hey, gorgeous," Nick said when he walked in, closing the door behind him. I put my neutral face on, but Nick wasn't fooled. It was like trying to fool a trained shrink. "What's wrong?" Nothing, I'm just in love with my brother, I think. Does that count as wrong? I mentally sighed. If it had been any other guy that wasn't Reese that had figured out that I had it bad for him, I'm sure I would have told Nick, but as it was, no.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said, knowing better than to lie. They could smell lies. Nick did not seem happy with my answer, but he didn't push.

"Alright, but if you want to talk, sweetie, you know where I am," he said and plunked down on my bed in front of me, smiling his trademark smile. I nodded, giving him a small smile in return. "So, I know you might not want to speak to me about this and your parents or your school probably already gave you the talk, but…," he trailed off and extracted a small box from his jeans back pocket. It took me a moment to realize that it was a med box. It took me another moment to realize that the box contained the Pill.

"N-nick, I don't…I don't need…," I trailed off, keeping my eyes glued to the freaking box. God, this day could not get any worse.

"Kim, I know you know what happened to my father," he said gently and my head shot up to look him in his chocolate brown eyes. "Things have changed since then, but I'm sure you don't want to get pregnant." I closed my eyes and looked away. Oh God. Without looking, I took the box from Nick's hands. I pulled my legs up, curling into a ball with the box still in my hand.

"Can I please be alone for a minute?" I whispered, but I'm sure he caught the note of tears in my voice. I felt him hesitate for a few seconds before getting up and leaving without another word. The second the doors closed, the tears fell.

Barely a minute had passed since Nick had left when there was another knock on the door. I didn't answer and just kept my head in between my knees, letting the tears pour. I heard the door open and I looked up to see Max looking at me confused. He closed the door behind him and warily walked over to me, talking in my current state. I dropped my knees and wiped my tears as he sat down beside me.

"What's up, Max?" I said, stuffing the Pill box under the pillow behind me. Sometimes Max came over to talk at night. Sometimes it was to ask advice about something, like how to handle Mark at school, or simply just to talk. During these talks I found that he wasn't a very confident person, just like I'd known since before we'd started getting along. What I had not expected was for some of his lack of confidence to come from his being gay. He hadn't said it outright, but I had deduced as much. I haven't addressed it with him yet because we were still working on our relationship, but despite everything, we were very tight already, especially after his trusting me with the truth about his past.

"Are you okay, Kim?" he asked worriedly. Since it had taken him longer to accept me, I still felt a trickle of warmth when he worried about me. He was such a sweet little brother and I knew better than to lie to him.

"No, but I will be," I said, giving him a small smile. I leaned over to him and he immediately knew what I wanted. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me. Being the oldest, I should be the one doing the holding, but Max was there for me as much as I was there for him.

"Is it Reese?" he asked. I stiffened in his arms, but quickly relaxed. Too late, he noticed. "Did he do something? I saw him taking you to the guest house." He sounded angry now. No, not angry, protective. I couldn't help the tear that fell then, but it was just one. Max feeling protective of me, who would have thought?

"He didn't do anything, I promise," I said gently into his chest. I wasn't lying. He didn't do anything. He was just being a Pack brother, trying to help me, comforting me, and I'd gone and blown it. "So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, veering him away from Reese, knowing that he had been waiting for me to come back into my room to talk to me.

"Mark," he said and seemed worried. I nodded and let him talk before speaking. As the words fell out of his mouth, I felt his trust in me and that made my mood lift somewhat. I loved my little brother and I loved that he trusted me, I really did.

Reese POV

I watched as she ran out the door as if the devil was behind her, but I stayed where I was. I wanted to go to her, to make sure she was okay, but I needed to calm down first. I sat back down on the couch, burying my head in my hands as I leaned on my knees. Damn it, I'd gone too far. I hadn't been able to conform myself with the close contact and had needed more. Something she obviously wasn't prepared for, nor did she want it, it seemed.

I sighed and leaned back against the couch, closing my eyes and breathing in Kim's lingering scent. Her scent. It's not that I wasn't used to it, I was. It doesn't affect me like it did when we first met—okay, it does and more than I would like, but I am able to control it, for now—but it also had calming effect that left me and my wolf almost completely calm and collected. Like the day I re-damaged Max's voice box. She took me down and held me until the wolf receded, which he only did because he smelt her and calmed down instantly. And just a moment ago, I'd needed her scent to not lose it.

Talking about my home is never easy and talking about the Australian Pack brings forth rage and the hunger for revenge. I'd needed to keep in control to tell Kim what I had to. She had seemed so hurt by her father's desertion that I'd needed to make her feel better anyway I could, even if that meant talking about things I would really rather not. Making her sit on me may not have been the best idea I've ever had, but it had seemed like the best way to directly inhale her scent and to keep the wolf in check. She hadn't protested either, so I didn't think she minded. Apparently not.

I almost lost it too. It's hard to control myself when I'm around her and its especially hard to control the wolf. He's so protective of Kim, I am as well, but it's the wolf's protectiveness that drives me when she's in pain, hurt or angry. So when I had her on top of me, I caught her distress, her flaring emotions that she was trying to keep under wraps and it didn't help me, since I was having difficulties of my own with my rage. I let go of everything right then and had felt the need to feel her closer so I kissed her on the cheek. The moment I touched her face the wolf relaxed and I swear she stopped breathing for a moment. But I'd needed more. Gently, I started moving the kisses a little lower and then I felt her grip me. I froze, uncertain if what she wanted was for me to continue or to stop. Apparently, it was to stop since she ran out the door, obviously.

Antonio and my brothers all agree that all I have to do is wait for her to come to me, that when she's ready, when she's accepted her wolf, she'll find her way to me. I had started to think that she felt something for me lately, but this sent all that conviction out the window. She honestly perplexes me, but that's probably a good thing. No man should be able to understand a woman, not even a werewolf.

With the help of Kim's still residing scent, the wolf finally calmed down. I got up and made my way back to the house. I hadn't wanted anyone to hear what I had to say to her and I hadn't wanted anyone to interrupt either. Control is harder to maintain if I was annoyed and I was normally annoyed if someone interrupted my time with Kim. To be honest, I'm surprised my possessiveness hasn't made her run for the hills yet. Hell, I'm surprised she hasn't already noticed how I feel about her or just how much my actions and reactions depend on her. Attacking Max is a clear example of this.

Normally, I'm not so lost when it comes to women, but Kim is a different story entirely. I mean, what nineteen-year-old has never had sex before? Well, I can think of a slightly older girl that hadn't either, but her story was completely different. I clenched my fists as the memory of Daniella washed over me and hot rage blinded me for a moment until I regained control. No. Kim is different. I'm quite certain that her lack of confidence is the reason for her being a virgin, but maybe it wasn't. Her parents had done a fine job on her and that could have destroyed her want and/or need to be with anyone.

Nonetheless, knowing that she is untouched has ignited a need that had been growing and growing as time drags by. The need to claim her. But how could I do this if she isn't mated to me the way I'm mated to her? Nick says that I should just kiss her and be done with it and normally, that's exactly what I would do, but I couldn't risk hurting Kim, I just couldn't. Besides, we live together. It's not like I could walk away from her like I could from a girl I met at a bar, though I've never felt like this for a girl I've met at a bar. And I highly doubt I would ever be able to walk away from Kim. She was my wolf mate, after all.

Subconsciously I fingered the bracelet she had given me for Christmas as I walked through the grounds towards the house. I rarely took it off and the same went for Kim. Max had refused to tell me why I had had to get her that particular present, so I was speechless when I had opened my own present. I had no idea what her intentions were when she got it, but they changed dramatically the moment I got her mine. Despite my own intention to not get her anything that would insinuate commitment, it was all shot to hell when she gave me my gift. Since we were werewolves anyone could say that our gift exchanging could be interpreted as us claiming each other, but I honestly had no idea what to think. I doubted Kim had gotten her gift for me with the thought of claiming me as hers, no matter how much I wished she had. Though even if she didn't realize it, I was hers and only hers.

I walked into the Sorrentino household following Kim's scent. Unsurprisingly, it led up the stairs. Her room was like her safe haven as was her music room, but her room more so. I suppose that it had been exactly that if her parents had been the monsters I thought them to be. I reached the top landing and went straight to her door. I could hear murmuring from inside, meaning she was with someone. I heard the wolf growl that we could interrupt, that she was ours after all. She wasn't ours yet, though, not until I claimed her, if I ever did.

I knocked on the door and waited. The murmuring stopped, but I couldn't hear anyone moving. "Kim, it's me," I called, hoping that would incite her to open the door and not lock it instead. I heard the bed creak and light footsteps come towards the door. It opened but it was Max behind it, not Kim. I looked over Max to Kim who was on the bed and had obviously shed tears in the last little while. Shit. I needed to fix this and fast. My wolf growled at the sight of her tears, but I held him back. I caught her eye, but she just looked away. I cringed at this but I was distracted by Max.

"What do you want?" he growled. I glared down at him and saw his wolf peeking out. I let mine come forth as well and tried to force Max's down, but he wouldn't budge. He was just so damn protective of Kim. If he hadn't been gay, I would have fought with him more than I already had. I was just starting to get irritated with Max for his lack of submission when Kim interrupted.

"Enough, guys," she said firmly. Instantly, Max backed down and I looked away at the same time. Not only did he feel protective of her, but he also obeyed her commands. Like I've said, everyone considers Kim my mate and treats her as such. So that means that Max has to be submissive to both of us, not just Kim, but my brother is weird, though I loved him anyway. I may be more dominant than Kim, especially when I was power playing with something related to her, but when she told me to back down, I did, I always did. I did not want her to submit to me, never. She could control my wolf when I couldn't, she had power over me. I may be more dominant, but she was more powerful. Max looked back at Kim who nodded at him and he turned back to me.

"Watch it," he growled in warning as he stalked past me. I felt my wolf growl too, but I didn't let it out. Max could be as protective as he wanted to be, but Kim was mine to protect, not his.

I closed the door once Max was out of the room and headed over to Kim. As I sat down on the bed, she shrank away from me, flushing. The wolf growled louder now. I needed her, she didn't realize it, but I did. If I couldn't have my wolf mate I'm not sure what I would do. She was like the anchor that held me down to the world from the moment we met. If I lost her I would lose myself. Gently, I crawled over to her in the middle of the bed. She didn't move and as soon as I could, I took her from around the waist and pulled her to me. She froze in my arms and then slowly relaxed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into my chest. I tensed. Why was she sorry? If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I was moving too fast for her it seemed and I needed to slow down and let her catch up. First she needed to come to terms with herself and her wolf and then we could about me and what my wolf had done.

"No, I am. I'm sorry I pushed the limits," I said gently as I rubbed circles into her back. This was a much used tactic to calm Max down and I knew it worked well on Kim. She tensed in my arms and I couldn't help but tense as well. Had I said the wrong thing?

"You didn't," she said, sounding almost insulted. I almost smiled, almost. She did feel something, I knew it. I wanted to push her so she would tell me what she felt but I didn't. I couldn't push her, not yet. I'd just have to wait. Easier said than done, unfortunately. Like I said, I now felt the need to claim her, the wolf's need to take his mate.

Suddenly, I remembered how she had reacted when we had our first run here and we hadn't Changed back. She'd woken up with me holding her to me, probably in contact with things she'd never been in with before. Well, now I guess I understand her reaction more. It wasn't only her being shy of her body that had made her shut down that day. It was being naked so close to naked men when she never had been before. The situation made worse with me holding her tight against my body.

Kim didn't say anything more, so she was obviously not going to explain why she'd left. No. Knowing her, she doesn't want to talk about it and she'd rather let it drop. If she had wanted to talk about it, she already would have. Gently, I pulled us down to the pillows and she let me. I knew that if she had wanted to stop me, she would have. She stands her ground if she doesn't like what I'm saying or doing, but from what Antonio has told me she wasn't always like this. Quite the contrary, she was actually very submissive when she was bitten, but that was only because she had been forced to submit for most of her life. I hated knowing that but it was the truth. I was just grateful that she had been able to bring out her true dominance, though Antonio called it healing, which was only thanks to her wolf and her being around such great people that were the Pack.

As I laid us down on her bed, I felt her curl up into me, burying her head into my chest as I pulled her tightly against me. I leaned my head down into her hair and breathed deeply, her scent intoxicating me. I had no idea how long I'd be able to keep this up. My wolf felt overpowering at times and it was getting harder to control him. It didn't help matters that I no longer could rely on the release that sex brought me to calm the wolf. I just couldn't do it, though. All I wanted was Kim, no one else. How long I would have to wait before I could make my move was beyond me, but I would do my best to keep the wolf in check until then.

Kim POV

So he didn't figure it out. I had been certain that he now knew how I felt about him, but no. He thought he'd pushed the limits. Not even close. If he knew just how far I was willing to let him go, all brotherly feelings would fly out the window and that would not be good. Definitely not good. I inhaled deeply, drinking in his scent and letting it flood me. It went straight to my head and I almost sighed with relief. I hadn't messed things up. Everything was still the same, but it couldn't stay that way, not on my behalf.

I could not let Reese find out how I felt about him. The rejection would hurt too much for me to be able to stay here. I had never fallen so hard before and I was certain this was something different. My wolf whole-heartedly agreed with this as she purred at Reese's presence. Either way it had to end. I had to find a way to get over Reese and fast. The consequences would be just too embarrassing and hurtful for me to bear.


	22. Ch 22 Firework

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge _and_ Aftermath.

*I'd like to give a special thanks to _wintercat18_ for telling about the song _Just A Kiss_. It portrays perfectly how Reese and Kim are feeling at the present time.

**Without You – David Guetta ft. Usher**

I can't win, I can't reign  
>I will never win this game<p>

Without you, without you  
>I am lost, I am vain<br>I will never be the same

Without you, without you

I won't run, I won't fly  
>I will never make it by<p>

Without you, without you  
>I can't rest, I can't fight<br>All I need is you and I,

Without you 

Can't erase, so I'll take blame  
>But I can't accept that we were estranged<p>

Without you, without you  
>I can't quit now, this can't be right<br>I can't take one more sleepless night

Without you, without you

I won't soar, I won't climb  
>If you're not here, I'm paralyzed,<p>

Without you, without you

**Just a Kiss – Lady Antebellum**

Lying here with you so close to me  
>It's hard to fight these feelings<br>when it feels so hard to breathe  
>Caught up in this moment<br>Caught up in your smile

I never open up to anyone  
>So hard to hold back<br>when I'm holding you in my arms

We don't need to rush this  
>Let's just take it slow<p>

Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
>Just a touch of the fire burning so bright<br>I don't want to mess this thing up  
>I don't want to push too far<br>Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
>be the one I've been waiting for my whole life<br>So baby I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight

I know that if we give this a little time  
>it'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find<br>It's never felt so real  
>No, it's never felt so right<p>

Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
>Just a touch of the fire burning so bright<br>I don't want to mess this thing up  
>I don't want to push too far<br>Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
>be the one I've been waiting for my whole life<br>So baby I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight

No I don't want say goodnight  
>I know it's time to leave but you'll be in my dreams<br>Tonight  
>Tonight<br>Tonight

Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
>Just a touch of the fire burning so bright<br>I don't want to mess this thing up  
>I don't want to push too far<br>Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
>be the one I've been waiting for my whole life<br>So baby I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight

Let's do this right with just a kiss goodnight  
>With a kiss goodnight<br>A kiss goodnight

Ch 22 Firework

Kim POV

"Awesome job, Kim," Addison said as he walked over to me. The class had just ended and everyone was trailing out. I turned to face him, giving him a small smile as he said, "You're going to do great on Friday."

"Thanks," I mumbled, my gut clenching at the thought of Friday's performance. I was so not looking forward to it. The whole Pack was coming to watch, minus Karl and Morgan who I had not seen since Christmas.

"So, have you thought about Julliard?" Addison asked suddenly as if he hadn't asked it a million times before.

"Addison, I'm not going to apply. They'll just laugh at me," I said desperately. Honestly, I had thought about it, really thought about it, but was I really as good as everyone told me I was? I suppose I was going to find out on Friday. If they clapped, then maybe I was, but if they didn't, then I was going to crawl under the first rock I found and never come out.

"You're good, Kim, really good. I swear that if you don't get into Julliard, then I have no freaking idea how the hell I got in," he said as if that settled the matter. I sighed loudly.

"I'll see, okay?" I said and waved goodbye as the next class trickled in. I started making my way down the stairs when I was called from behind. I turned to see one of my classmates, Alex, making his way towards me. I had dance lessons and show choir with him. According to Addison, Alex can't keep his eyes off of me when we're in class.

"Hey," he said as he reached me, his bag hanging loosely on his shoulder. "Um, I was wondering if you'd like to grab that coffee today," he said nervously. I mentally winced. The poor guy had been asking me out for the past few weeks and so far I'd avoided giving him a flat out no. I liked the guy; he was cute, funny and smart, so why don't I just say yes? Easy, the answer is Reese. As hard as I may, I can't ignore my feelings for him, but I'm beginning to think that the best way to get over him is to go out with another guy. Could Alex be the answer to my prayer?

"I'd love to, but my brother's coming to pick me up and should be here soon," I said, mentally cringing as I called Reese my brother, though technically he is my _Pack_ brother.

"Another time then," he said, shrugging as though it was no big deal, but his eyes told me otherwise. I told him that he could accompany outside to wait if he wanted to. He did. He kept up a nervous steady stream of chatter as we made our way outside the building. He was a nice a guy, a really nice guy, and he really did seem to be interested. What the hell was I supposed to do? If he really was interested and I said yes but still had feelings for Reese, what would that make me? I'd be using him and I didn't want to hurt him.

We sat down on the front steps of the academy and I laughed lightly as Alex finished telling me what had happened to him the first time he went on stage. He had tripped and fallen face first to the floor, making everyone behind him trip as well. A throat cleared as I was watching Alex laugh, studying his handsome features—short curly brown hair, dark brown eyes, strong jaw—, and I jumped. I turned to see Reese standing just a few feet below us, his arms crossed and a neutral expression upon his face, but his wolf was very close at hand from what I could see in his eyes.

"Um, I'll see you tomorrow, Alex," I said, standing and waving goodbye with a smile on my lips. He smiled back as I turned and went over to Reese. He stayed where he was as I neared him, glaring at Alex before turning his attention to me. He took my hand and led me to his car. I mentally sighed. Jeez, Reese he wasn't going to hurt me. Silently, I hopped into his car and we started making our way to Max's school.

I could feel Reese's anger flowing from him but I stayed silent. Whatever Reese's problem with Alex, he would explain it soon enough, I hope. Best let him get the wolf under control before addressing the matter. I'd learned that this was the best way to handles things. He didn't speak until we were almost at the school.

Reese POV

I tried and failed to rein in my anger, though I was glad that I managed to keep the wolf under wraps, but barely. He was storming, raging and growling furiously. All he wanted was to go back to the academy and either show that guy why he shouldn't be interested in Kim or give him a show of just how close Kim and I were. Granted, I had never kissed her before and I knew that all hell would break loose if the first time I did it was to get a guy to back off.

I knew Kim could smell my anger. Hell, even I could and that just infuriated the wolf all the more. No one should look at our mate like that, no one. At least while she still isn't "mine". It had taken all of my will power to not growl at the guy and even more to turn around and walk away. Breathing deeply and inhaling Kim's scent, I managed to subdue the wolf for the most part and my anger, though it still warred for control.

Now what was I supposed to tell Kim? I honestly did not mind telling her what I felt, but the mating thing would probably have her jumping out of the car. I doubted she would correctly interpret my actions or emotions. Like I've said, she still doesn't totally understand the wolf and as such she can't really predict how the wolf would react. Either way I had to say something and all I wanted was for Kim to never talk to that guy again, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

"He's human, Kim," I whispered into the silence. If Kim couldn't stop seeing him at the academy, then at least I'll get her to not look in his direction. I had no idea if she was interested in him or not, but I'd handle that later. I knew that she had every right to go out with whomever she wanted, but it would be the end of me if she ever did. Maybe it sounds a little dramatic but that's just how I felt.

"So?" she asked. Damn it. Had no one talked to her about this?

"You can't date humans," I said gently, trying to keep the lie out of my voice. Nick dated humans all the time, of course. Obviously it didn't work and she caught it immediately.

"That's not true. I can as long as its short term," she said stiffly. I glanced at her and saw her staring fixedly out the window, small waves of irritation flowing off of her. Shit. I'd never lied to her before and I really, really could not lose her trust. But what else could I do? I didn't want her dating a human or anyone else for that matter. I wanted her with me.

"Just don't, please," I begged softly and removed a hand from the steering wheel and placed it on her knee, trying to transmit how much that would hurt.

"I wouldn't let him hurt me, Reese," she said gently. I squeezed her knee lightly, breathing in deeply as I fought to control my emotions. She thought I was being protective. Kind of but not quite. I was being territorial but not much. If the wolf were to win anymore ground, I was likely to stop the car and claim her right then and there to mark my territory. No, perish the thought. That would definitely be a bad idea. I felt her take my hand in both of hers and my wolf relaxed instantly at the touch of his mate. I inhaled deeply again, receiving a full blast of her sweet scent and relaxed my death grip on the steering wheel. Damn it, stay in control, Reese. It's not like she's into him. At least I don't think so. I had been too worried about the guy's interest in her to look at her.

"Do you like him?" I asked when we were almost at the school. I felt her gaze on me but I kept mine averted. If I looked up, she would see how much the thought hurt me; though my voice already held enough pain which I'm sure she caught.

"It doesn't matter," she said softly. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't an answer either. Anger blasted forward and I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were white. Did she or didn't she like him then? I wanted to ask but I didn't dare. She would have told me if she was interested, I think. No, she was too shy for that. I bet she wouldn't even tell my brothers for fear that they would tell me which they would. I guess I'd have to make the first move if we were ever going to get somewhere.

I parked the car in the school's parking lot but made no move to get out and neither did Kim, who still held my hand tightly between hers despite my anger outburst just moments ago which she undoubtedly smelt. I unbuckled myself and before she could do the same I leaned over to her and kissed her on the cheek. Her reaction was predictable. I heard her heart rate jump and her breathing stop for a second before both accelerated. I lingered a little longer than a brother should have and then pulled back. This was as close as I was going to get to marking her and it was going to have to do for now.

Ever since the other night when she told me that I hadn't pushed the limits, I'd been trying to do just that. Though I knew I couldn't go very far without telling her what I felt which would only lead me to telling her about my wolf. Still, she never complained when I kissed her neck or my hands lingered in places they really shouldn't as her "brother". In fact she liked it a lot from what I could tell from the smell of her arousal every time I did it. Werewolves were very sexual creatures which meant that it was much more difficult to stay in control when I smelt her arousal.

Silently we got out of the car and went to the gym. I wanted, needed to take her hand in mine but I couldn't. To the eyes of the town we were siblings. Well, foster siblings since no one would ever mistake us as blood related brother and sister. We took our seats just as Max skated onto the rink. Kim waved down at him and I nodded my greeting. He smiled and waved and then turned his attention to the opposing team.

As the game began, a girl sat down beside me. Before I had met Kim I would have noticed her and the fact that she had sat down beside me when there were plenty of empty seats around us. I would have noticed that she was pretty, blonde, blue eyes, slim figure and a decent second base. But I _had_ met Kim, so I noticed nothing, or almost nothing.

Ten minutes into the game, she started up some light conversation. I didn't like to be rude so I murmured some replies whenever she required them. It wasn't until half way through the game that I picked up on Kim's irritation. No. Soft waves of anger that jumped every now and then as if she was trying to keep her emotions under control. I smiled to myself and then turned to the blonde girl. I knew Kim felt something for me, a lot of something, but how much exactly?

The moment I started talking to the girl Kim's anger flared. I kept my smile in this time and kept up the conversation with the girl. I didn't flirt, far from it. Just talking about this and that, just about anything one would talk about with a stranger. But even that had Kim mad as hell. Or her wolf which was more likely. Even if her wolf hadn't mated her to me as mine had mated me to hers, her wolf would still feel territorial about me considering Kim's feelings.

I hated angering my Kim but this was something I needed to know. I needed to know just how deep her feelings were for me. From the way her anger was escalating as the minutes dragged by, I'd say they were deeper than I had thought. This new piece of information had the wolf singing with joy, but I was quick to remind him that what she felt might not be as strong as a mate bond.

The game ended and we started heading to the changing rooms to wait for Max. The girl—Mandy—accompanied us since her brother was on Max's team. The blast of anger that hit me then almost forced my wolf out. I glanced at Kim and saw her watching the floor beneath her, her hands clenched tightly. The wolf growled that this was taking it one step too far, but there was nothing I could do about it. I wanted to comfort Kim and tell her that I didn't want the girl but I couldn't out rightly say it with Mandy right beside us.

The moment we reached the changing rooms, Kim mumbled something about the washroom and took off. The wolf within me growled at having upset our mate, but I held him down. I'd needed to do that, I'd needed to see that she reacted the same way. Her lingering scent told me that her wolf was close at hand which meant that she had. Now I just had to wait for the opportune moment to tell her everything.

Kim POV

_Kill the bitch. He's ours, not hers. _No, I growled inwardly. Reese is not ours and never would be. Besides, he had every freaking right to talk and show interest with any girl he wanted to, no matter how much I really wished he didn't. I leaned up against the plastic wall of one of the toilet booths and breathed in deeply, wishing I could breathe in Reese. No such luck. All I got was a good whiff of various chemicals.

I closed my eyes, trying to rein in the wolf. All she wanted was to go rip the bitch's head off. I'd like to as well, but it probably wasn't a good idea. It kind of scared me that my wolf wanted to go kill the girl that was just _talking_ to Reese, especially because she wasn't technically doing anything bad, but for some reason my wolf thought Reese was ours. I had spent the entire game holding her down and keeping my anger in check. Between that and the blonde's nauseatingly high pitched voice I had no idea who had even won the game.

I took another deep breath forced calm into my body. I needed to relax before I went back to Reese. The last thing I needed was for him to see just how jealous I was, though he might have already noticed. I sighed softly just as I heard the door open. I brushed a hand through my hair in a very Antonio-like gesture and opened the booth door. I froze and stared at the guy before me. Mark, Max's bully.

"Hey, there," he grinned, standing but three feet in front of me. I stared at him stunned for a moment before the wolf kicked in and told me get the hell out of there.

"In case you haven't noticed, this is the girls' bathroom," I growled. I knew I shouldn't try and piss him off, but with everything Max had told me this idiot had done to him, I couldn't find it in me to act civilized. Besides, my wolf was still pissed at the blonde bitch. I made to move past him, but he grabbed my arm and spun me around so I could see his hideous face and even uglier smile. I bit back a growl at his touch and had to force myself to let him manhandle me or I could easily leave him armless since I couldn't control my strength around humans yet. Not that I'd mind leaving him limbless, but the Pack would not be happy.

"I saw you ditch your boyfriend when he ditched you for the blonde. I figured you might want some company," he said, leaning into my personal space. He can't be serious. Apparently he is, I concluded as he grabbed my ass with his other hand, stepping even closer. I stepped back, yanking my arm out of his grip.

"Go fuck yourself," I growled and turned, but again he grabbed my arm, trying to turn me around once more. This time however, I reacted on instinct and spun before he had a tight hold and pulled his arm behind him before he even had time to blink. "Listen, you bastard. If you ever touch me again, I swear I will rip your arm off, and if you ever touch my brother again… Well, lets just say that you want be bothering girls in the bathroom for sex once I'm done with you," I said in the best menacing voice I could manage, though my wolf helped me with this. When he didn't answer, I pulled his arm up a little higher, but instead of grunting with pain, he groaned with pleasure. I tensed instantly as the smell of his arousal hit me.

"Fuck, you don't know how that turns me on, babe," he whispered. Okay, gross. I stepped back a little so I had enough leverage and kneed him in the ass. He fell to the floor and I ran past him out the door. Once outside, I settled for a walk. People still filled the halls as they trailed out of the gym. I made my way outside and was thankful that the guys were by the car, waiting for me. I was also grateful that my little spat with Mark had gotten rid of whatever aggression I'd had when I'd left Reese.

Reese gave me an odd look when I hopped into the front passenger seat, but I ignored him and listened to Max's explanation of a fight that had ensued during the game. I couldn't even remember that there had been a fight, but again that was the blonde's fault and the wolf hadn't helped. Sorry, Max. Normally the Pack discourages its members to play sports because of the exposure risk it held, but Max needed this. He needed to socialize—though as far as I knew he hadn't made a single friend—and to let loose some of his aggressiveness for which hockey was the best cure.

As Reese drove us home, I couldn't help but feel good. Yes, I had just been assaulted in the washroom, but knowing that I could handle it made me feel so good. Though I just had to think about the bimbo for that good feeling to evaporate. Reese hadn't really flirted back, but what about after I left? If he had, did it matter? He's not into me, that much is clear and always has been, but I knew it would hurt like hell if he went out with someone. However, I knew that he was probably getting restless. No sex in almost two months. Somehow I don't think that that could be good for him.

We walked into the house, dropping our things in the living room, and went straight to the kitchen. We made ourselves some sandwiches and then started making our way back to the living room, but Reese held me back. "We'll be right there, Max," Reese said to our brother who just shrugged and took off. Only when we heard the television click on, did he finally speak.

"I wasn't into her," he said quickly, looking a little anxious. I studied him for a moment, having no idea where this was coming from. Had he smelt my anger then? If so, was he placating me or telling the truth? Truth, I decided. I couldn't smell any lies anyway. But why tell me? Deciding to just let it go, I shrugged and turned, walking away from him and into the living room where Max was waiting on the couch. The moment he saw me, he turned the TV off and slid over to the table. Max's Spanish lessons weren't theoretical since he had photographic memory, so we focused more on his pronunciation and his conversation skills.

I asked Max to pick a topic just as Reese walked into the living room and sat down beside me, taking my hand in his and placing them over his thigh. I warmed at the contact. Even if it was stupid, I felt happy that he hadn't been interested in the blonde. She'd been pretty, after all. Of course, I knew better than to feel as if this actually meant something. Reese wasn't interested in me and even if he was, things could never be between us. I don't even want to imagine the embarrassment of something going wrong between us and then having to still be in the same Pack, not to mention live in the same house.

Max started up a conversation about medicine, his favourite topic since I was probably the only one in the house that could follow most of the conversation. I was an EMT in Spain, but I don't know as much as an EMT here in the States knows. Today, however, Max didn't feel like talking about heart operations, but rather about my work in the ambos.

"You have to understand, Max, that working in an ambulance isn't the same as working in a hospital. We don't have the same instruments or the same knowledge as doctors. Our job is to get them to the doctors as fast as possible. We don't always make it," I said in Spanish, meaning Reese wasn't following the conversation. We had started his lessons as well, but unlike Max who could do all the theoretical work himself, I had to go through all of it with Reese, so he was still further back than Max. Still, he sat through Max's lessons so he could pick up on the pronunciation and sounds too.

"Have you ever lost anyone?" he asked, still in Spanish. Max already knew five other languages, English, Russian, French, Italian and German, so he was picking up on Spanish rather quickly, especially because of its similarities with Italian. He was even helping me learn Italian in return. I cringed a little at his question, but I knew he was just curious.

"Three," I answered flatly. Either something in my voice alerted Reese or he understood what we were talking about because he instantly buried his face into my shoulder. Max smirked at us, but was kind enough to not say anything and changed the subject.

"You okay?" Reese asked an hour later in the music room. I nodded and sat down on the couch. It was time for his lesson but today it was verbal. I just couldn't work with him while I worked with Max because Max was just too far ahead of him and I would probably stop his progress. Reese sat down beside me and wrapped an arm around me. "So you've lost three people," he whispered when I'd leaned into him. I tensed but he just pulled me closer.

"Getting better at Spanish, I see," I said, avoiding his question. He chuckled slightly before answering.

"Yeah, well, I understand more than what I can say," he said. I nodded, knowing this was very typical for someone learning a language.

"Yes," I said, answering his previous question.

"I'm sorry, _cariño_," he said gently. I shrugged in his arms but tingled all over at his endearment, the equivalent of "darling" in English. It wasn't the first time that he used it—his pronunciation had improved to the point where it sounded almost perfect—but it filled me with joy every time. I sighed and leaned further into him. Its not that I didn't care that those three had died, I did. Hell, I cried all three times, but I'd learned to accept that those deaths weren't my fault. Far from it. All three of them could only have been saved if they'd had a hospital three feet from where their accidents had happened, even then it wouldn't have been a sure bet.

I extracted myself from Reese and went over to the piano seat. I needed to get some practice in before Friday and we could always post pone our lesson until tonight when he came up to my room, almost a daily custom now. Reese stayed where he was on the couch. He once told me that I looked stunning when I played the piano. I couldn't help but smile and flush at the memory. Eventually, though, he joined me at the piano seat and I always played better when I had him by my side and was inhaling his scent.

Two days later, I was sitting at the piano seat again, my three brothers watching me play as anxiety ate at me. So much so that I eventually had to stop to take a breather. Instantly, all three of them were by my side asking if I was okay. "Yeah, just nervous," I said, which was the truth. I was as nervous as hell. The performance was tonight and all I wanted to do was stay home in bed.

I pushed the guys away and got up, making for the kitchen. I don't know why, though, since it was obvious that my stomach did not feel like cooperating. Throughout the meal Reese had a hand on my thigh, warning me that I wasn't going anywhere until I ate, and Antonio was at the head of the table, watching me closely. I ate, but not much, and was about to get up, but Reese held me down and Antonio told me that unless I ate properly I wasn't going anywhere. I forced down the minimum amount of food that would placate them and got up. They knew I was nervous, they could definitely smell it, but they didn't want me fainting on the stage.

The next few hours flew by in a flurry. As soon as I was done eating, I went up to my room, followed closely by Reese. I started changing into the dress Nick and I had picked out yesterday in some designer shop, but my hands were trembling. I was beyond nervous about tonight's performance.

"Kim," Reese called from the room. I was in the walk-in wardrobe changing. It's not that I minded him seeing me naked anymore, but my nerves felt as if they would shatter if I had his eyes on me while I changed. Without answering him, I opened the wardrobe's door and stepped out.

Reese's gaze travelled down my body as soon as he saw me. I flushed and looked away, just realizing that in my haste to just get dressed I'd put on some very hot and sexy red lace underwear, thankfully not see-through. I strode over to him and handed him my brand new golden dress. It took him a moment to remove his gaze from me to the dress.

"You mind? My hands are shaking too much," I said, looking up at him. He nodded slightly and took the dress from my hands. Slowly he slipped the dress over my head and I turned around so he could zip me up. His hands lingered over my hips for a moment before gliding up to the zip. My already trembling hands started tingling as the zipper reached the top and Reese pressed against me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist. _He's your brother_, I thought wildly, but it didn't help when he leaned down and kissed my neck. I shivered and my insides squirmed, but thankfully Nick came in then to check on my progress.

The Danvers arrived while I was still getting ready, uselessly trying to put some light make-up on. I somehow managed to curl my hair with Elena's and Nick's help and ended up looking somewhat acceptable, though comments varied from "stunning" to "gorgeous" to "sexy"—that last one was Nick, though my brothers whole-heartedly agreed. Before I could reconsider going to the performance, we were out the door.

For the entire ride to New York, I held Reese's hand in a death grip, but if it hurt, he made no sign of it. The moment we arrived to the theatre where I would be performing, I jumped out of the car in the three inch heels and met up with Addison, abandoning the Pack who all wished me luck. I was barely aware of everything that went on backstage. Addison led me to my dressing room, but he'd been warned by Reese about my nervous state so he helped me get into my first outfit. The first of five, I might add. Only a handful of people had the maximum of performances allowed, including Addison. He told me that this just showed how talented I was, but I wasn't up for listening tonight. I just wanted to get this over with.

I mentally prepared myself for what was to come. Two singing routines—one solo and one a duet with Addison—two vocal and dancing routines—one of which was the opening number—and one piano number. Butterflies took flight as Addison grabbed my hand and led me on stage. Numbly, I realized that I would soon be singing a love song and I knew who I would be thinking of. Reese's face filled my vision, but I pushed it back. I wouldn't be singing that for a while, but who I would be thinking of was undeniable.

T-minus one minute. Oh god, why had I agreed to do the opening number? T-minus fifteen seconds. Oh god, oh god, oh god. The lights suddenly went out and Addison squeezed my hand and whispered a 'break your leg' just as the curtain was pulled up. Well, here it goes.

Antonio POV

My daughter is amazingly talented. I had heard her play and sing at home, but on the stage I saw a part of her I never knew existed. It was like the stage brought out another part of her, one that wasn't shy and that could sing, dance and play the piano without blushing or looking away. As I watched her I knew I had done the right thing with giving her her music. Her music made her happy and it let her express herself in ways I never thought possible, other than when she was with Reese.

My princess participated in five performances in total; something Addison had told me was very rare for someone who had only been at the academy for just two months. She was talented and she had to go to Julliard he had said. Reese tensed slightly beside me as Kim sang a love song, _Without You_ by David Guetta. I grinned as I recognized the smiles on her face as the ones she normally had fixed on her lips whenever she was with Reese, but I'm not sure if he realized that.

Her second-to-last performance was a duet with Addison. They were alone on the stage and they stood proudly side by side. They sang _Firework_ by Katy Perry. It took me a moment to realize that it was the song she had helped Kate with when she first arrived at Stonehaven. Back then, though, she hadn't sung, she had just showed Kate how to reach the notes and worked her through the song, nothing else. But now I could see why she had chosen not to sing the song in front of me. I could see that she connected with the song and she sang with her heart in her hands. I hated to think that she had felt the way the song described, but I was happy to see that she was smiling. She was a firework right then, just like the song said. She had moved past her insecurities—well, most of them at least—and had become a firework.

Kim POV

A rush of adrenaline ran through my veins when my family came back stage after the closing number. Max got to me first, hugging me fiercely and handing me a bunch of flowers. He soon took off in search of Addison, I presume. Kate then ran into my arms, crying, "You were amazing." I hugged her back, awkwardly holding the flowers Max had given me. She eventually let me go when Elena pulled her away and handed me more flowers. Thankfully, we were in my dressing room so I was able to pile the flowers on the dresser as they were handed to me. Tears of joy threatened, but I held them back, very aware of the fact that I still had make-up on.

When the only person left to congratulate me was Reese, the Danvers took the kids outside and started heading to the car. My family said they'd wait outside for me to get changed and then we'd leave for the restaurant. They took the flowers with them because I had way more than I could carry. The moment the door closed, Reese rushed at me and pulled me to him, leaning down so he was nuzzling my neck. I hugged him back, unable to hold back the tears now. He chuckled when he saw them and told me how amazing I was before kissing me lightly just beside my lips. I shuddered at the contact but he didn't seem to notice.

He helped me out of my dress, not because I couldn't do it myself, but I didn't want to get any make-up on it since it wasn't mine. I didn't care anymore if I was naked around the guys. After two months of waking up naked with them had kind of removed that shyness, but I still didn't let them touch me while we were naked. So more often than not Reese had to move away quickly when I woke up in his arms or risk getting hit in places I'm sure he'd rather not be hit. Still, I think Reese knew what it meant for me to be letting him touch me while I was semi naked, both right then and when I had been in my room. I flushed as I saw him looking down my body in the mirror, so he didn't know I saw him checking me out. I forced myself to remember that just like it had been in my room this was just a male reflex.

As soon as I was ready, he handed me the flowers I had failed to notice until now. Red roses, my favourite. Typical, I know, but I just love them. How Reese knew this I have no idea or maybe he was just lucky. I took the flowers with water in my eyes. Feeling emboldened and with adrenaline still pumping, I lifted myself onto my toes and kissed him where he had kissed me moments before. Before I could pull back, he wrapped his arms around me and held in place, pressed against his body, the flowers dangling down his back from my hand wrapped around his neck. He nuzzled my neck again and I felt him take a deep breath and I did the same, trying to relax my frantic heart.

A knock on the door made me jump and he growled lowly before stepping back, brushing a hand through his hair. Without a word, he wrapped an arm around my waist and led me out. Alex was waiting just outside the door, however. Reese growled lowly again when he saw Alex and tightened his grip on me. Thankfully, Alex didn't hear the growl and didn't see Reese's wolf in his eyes since his gaze fell on me.

"You were amazing tonight," Alex said, handing me another bouquet of flowers, these ones peonies. I smiled at him, blushing deeply. I hadn't expected this. As I murmured a 'thank you', Reese's scent reached me and through my daze I was able to pick up the scent of his wolf. Despite my high I realized that Alex was just one second away from being beheaded. Apologizing to Alex, I told him that we had to go and dragged Reese away from him. I pulled him aside when we had almost reached the door, behind a curtain so no one would see.

"Get your wolf under control," I ordered, staring up into his eyes to see his wolf very close at hand. I held a hand on his chest as he closed his eyes and I felt him relax. "No one is going to hurt me, especially not Alex," I said, knowing how protective he could be and just how on edge he must be with so many strangers around here.

"I know," he said with his eyes still closed and covering my hand with his on his chest. "I just don't like him," he said, opening his eyes now to look at me and I saw that his wolf had retreated. I nodded, not really caring that he didn't like Alex as he brought his lips down to my cheek. He pulled away and whatever reason that had filled my body so I could force control into Reese evaporated at his touch. Dazed and adrenaline still steaming through me, I held onto Reese's hand as he led me out the building.

Outside, we met up with the others and we headed to the restaurant, something very upscale and expensive that only rich families like the Sorrentinos went to. Reese sat beside me as did Nick and between the two they kept me in deep conversation for most of the night, barely giving me time to calm myself or my wolf that was riding the same high I was. When we'd all had our fair share of food, it was time to go home, but we weren't going home. Antonio had booked a few rooms in a hotel in downtown New York because tomorrow we were going to spend the entire day in the City. It was his special surprise just for me he said.

The Danvers' left after supper and the rest of us went to the hotel. I was exhausted but excitement still ran through me. I love the stage, I decided. I'm not sure if I'd like to spend my life working on it like Addison, but I loved music. Maybe I could consider Julliard. After all, it couldn't hurt to just apply, right? I collapsed on the hotel bed once I'd put my nightgown on, trying to relax my body. It was a little tense and my heart was still beating loudly. I had performed on stage before but I had never enjoyed it as much as I had this time. The exhilaration that hit me as soon as the curtain went up and the applause reached my ears is indescribable. It was so intense that I was still feeling its effects now several hours later, clouding my brain and blocking reason from entering my mind.

Suddenly I heard a knock at the door. I knew who it was before I even opened the door. I stepped aside to let Reese in and shut the door behind him. Technically he was supposed to be sleeping in the room next door with our brothers, but I was just too elated to care about much tonight. Predictably, he went over to the bed. I followed, loving how the suit looked on him. I wonder if he realized just how sexy he looked in it.

Reese POV

She crawled into bed after me and lay down beside me, but I could still feel her excitement from tonight. After smelling it the first time in her dressing room, Jeremy had taken me aside for a moment and explained that she was likely to act as if she were on a drug-free high—he should know since his mate worked on the stage for a living. That meant that her actions wouldn't exactly be her own, they would be much less self-conscious which she had already demonstrated in her dressing room. It had taken all of my will power to not move my face so my lips touched hers when she had reached up to kiss me. It was a kiss much too close to the lips than she was normally comfortable with.

I grabbed her around the waist and rolled her on top of me. I was pushing the limits tonight and I was risking the loss of my control by coming here, but I just couldn't stay away. I needed to feel her after the emotions I saw her spill on stage, but the smell of her adrenaline was numbing my senses as if it were alcohol. She looked down at me a little startled at my actions, but then she saw my face and smiled. Her hands flew down to my sides and she attacked. I tried to get her too, but she pulled my hands over my head firmly pinning them there. I let her, giving her control since I was likely to take it too far if I had it tonight. As she moved my hands up, she wriggled against me and I had to work hard to keep my moan down. I felt myself harden as she straddled me, moving roughly over me as she tickled me with one hand and held my hands in the other. Whether she noticed my arousal or not, I'm not sure since she made no sign of it. Whether she smelt it or not was another matter, but even I could smell that. In fact I'm pretty sure I was smelling hers as well.

I breathed slowly, trying to calm my arousal but failing miserably. I'm not sure if she smelt it or not but I'm surprised she hadn't smelt it in her dressing room earlier. The smell of adrenaline and the sight of her body had set me off and I'd almost lost it when she'd kissed me. The wolf had jumped forward and finding Alex outside her door hadn't helped, but thankfully Kim had had enough sense to make the wolf back down before walking out of the building.

Suddenly, Kim stopped tickling me and just lay down on top of me like she'd done so many times before, except tonight was different. She was still dazed from the adrenaline rush and the smell of it mixed with her own female werewolf scent was making it hard to keep my arousal in check. She leaned down and nuzzled my neck. I shuddered slightly and pulled her closer to me, pressing her against my chest. I fought to keep in control, but if she didn't move away soon, I was going to do something I might regret.

I knock on the door made her jump and I couldn't hold in the growl that escaped me just like it had in her dressing room. Kim looked down at me and I saw her wolf lurking in her eyes, forcing mine back which was probably clearly visible by now. Once she was satisfied, she gave me a swift kiss on the cheek and hopped off of me and went to the door. I had to control myself to not take her arm and pull her back to me, giving her a real kiss she wasn't likely to forget anytime soon. She opened the door and my brothers Max and Noah came in. They froze when they saw me on the bed and smelt our arousal which was pretty much undeniable, but Kim seemed unperturbed. Or maybe her high was blocking her senses. I managed to keep myself in check somehow as Kim came to sit beside me, calling our brothers over. They obeyed her like I knew they would and sat on the bed with us, bringing drinks and playing cards with them.

As Max and Kim decided on what game they wanted to play and the smell of Kim's adrenaline rush died down, Noah gestured to me if I wanted him and Max to leave. I told him no. It was best if they stayed. Noah was also affected by Kim's high and scent which was why he was quick to escape her dressing room earlier, but thankfully it wasn't as strong now and he was able to maintain control with more success than me which I knew was not good.

As my head cleared, I realized that I was grateful that my brothers had shown up when they had. Had I acted on my impulses just a few moments ago, I had no way of knowing if Kim's reaction were her own or the result of her mood. Yes, I knew she felt something for me, deeper than I had originally thought, but I would never take advantage of her like this. When I told her what I felt or when I decided to make my move, she would be in complete control of her emotions and senses, not like she is now as if she were giddy from alcohol. It was getting difficult to wait for my moment and even more so when my brothers seemed intent on shoving me towards Kim. Between Nick, Max and Noah, they were all slowly pushing me to make a move on Kim. Max was especially insisting that we were mates and that was obvious since we'd claimed each other with our Christmas presents. I wanted to see it that way, but I'm certain Kim hadn't bought my present with that intention. Besides, if it weren't for Max, I wouldn't have had a clue of what to get Kim.

Max started handing out cards to start playing poker and I shifted closer to Kim, knowing that I could now control the wolf with the smell of her adrenaline gone. She was still in a happy mood but that was it. I laid a hand on the small of her back and she smiled up at me. Had she been born among werewolves she would have recognized my move for what it was. I was claiming my territory before other werewolves. She wasn't technically mine, but my wolf saw her as such and felt the need to show the other werewolves. I knew my brothers—especially Max—would never try to take Kim from me, but since she is unclaimed the wolf pushes me to mark my ground.

We played till late despite our plans for the next day. Max and Noah were going to leave the room when we called it a night, but Kim told them to stay. The bed was as big as the one in her room so we could all fit comfortably. They did as she said and I took up the spot closest to the door with Kim by my side and Max and Noah beside her. Again, if Kim had been raised by wolves, she would have noticed the hierarchy that structured our family. Max and Noah listen and obey her as if they were taking orders from me or any older Pack member. This is both because they respect her and because she is unofficially my mate. Female werewolves are extremely rare so they don't fit into the normal hierarchy of the Pack, which means that they take their Pack status from their mate. Since I had recognized her as my mate—whether she would ever recognize me in return is another matter—she took her status from me, and since I was older than Max and Noah they both listened to Kim and me.

Kim was the first to drift off. She'd had a bad night yesterday because of her nervousness and I'd suffered with her. Max soon fell as did Noah. It wasn't until the last one fell asleep did I finally let myself follow them, holding Kim tightly against me.

The next day, Kim was visibly much calmer than the day before but she was still excited about seeing the City. We went to all the touristic places people fawn over. The only thing she had no inclination to see was the Statue of Liberty. Apparently, she has a problem with heights. That didn't stop her from going to the top of the Empire State Building, though. Max and Nick stayed on the ground because there were too many people for Max to feel comfortable. Antonio and Noah were around here, but we'd lost them when we got out of the elevator. I held onto Kim as we manoeuvred through the crowd and I led her to the edge so she could look down on the City.

"It's beautiful," she whispered as I held onto her around the waist from behind. I nodded my agreement into her shoulder, breathing her in. I wasn't big on cities, especially after having grown up in the Outback, but it was sunset and that gave the city a certain beauty it didn't have in the daylight or even at night-time. We watched the sun set together, completely ignoring the people around us. Only when my phone rang did we finally pull our gazes away from the horizon. I kissed her lightly on the neck before leading her back to the elevator.

We drove back in Antonio's car while Max and Noah went in Nick's. Kim was leaning against me in the back seat, dozing slightly with my arm around her when we past her music academy. I gripped her tighter as I remembered that she'd been sitting on those steps with that guy, Alex. I didn't like him. He looked at Kim, _my_ Kim, with eyes full of interest and my wolf didn't like it one bit. Kim had assumed I was being protective instead of territorial, which only proved that she ignored my feelings for her.

Soon, I promised myself. Soon I would tell Kim everything. I was terrified that she would run when I told her about my wolf but I had to tell her. I could not risk starting a relationship with her if she didn't understand how deep my feelings went. I will tell her everything. Soon.

Kim POV

I fell asleep on the drive home and I wasn't aware of anything until I felt strong arms lift me up. I recognized the arms all too well, but one whiff confirmed what I knew. Reese took me up to my room, laying me gently on the bed. As if this were his bed instead of mine, he took up a spot beside me, pulling me to him. I snuggled into him and heard him chuckle softly, but he said nothing as he kissed my hair. Yes, I'm stupid. If I want to get over him, the best thing I could do was stop sleeping with him, but I can't do that. I just can't.

Today had been absolutely amazing. New York was everything I had expected it to be and having spent the day with my family had made it all the more exciting. The City was definitely in my favourite top five cities. But without a doubt the thing I enjoyed the most about the city was the Empire State Building. I shivered as I remembered Reese's arms encompassing me atop the building and his soft kiss on my neck. And last night… Oh god, last night. I could have sworn I'd smelt arousal and I had been certain it was coming from me, but thankfully my brothers had saved me any embarrassment. The adrenaline rush had emboldened me and I did things I normally would never have done. Kiss Reese barely an inch away from his lips? Never in my life, but at least he hadn't pulled back, quite the contrary actually.

I breathed in deeply, shifting slightly and getting into a more comfortable position. This had to end. I couldn't keep torturing myself like this. He didn't want me and never would. I needed to accept this and move on. Soon.


	23. Ch 23 Control

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge _and_ Aftermath.

**Here I Am – Renee Sandstrom**

They tell you a good girl is quiet  
>And that you should never ask why<br>'Cause it only makes it harder to fit in  
>You should be happy, excited<br>Even if you're just invited  
>'Cause the winners need<br>Someone to clap for them  
>It's so hard, just waiting<br>In a line that never moves  
>It's time you started making<br>Your own rules

You gotta scream until  
>There's nothing left<br>With your last breath, so  
>Here I am, here I am<br>Make'em listen  
>'Cause there is no way you'll be ignored<br>Not anymore, say  
>Here I am, here I am<br>Here I am, here I am

You only get one life to work it  
>So who care's if it's not perfect<p>

Say, "it's close enough to perfect for me"  
>Why should you hide from the thunder<br>And the lightning that you're under  
>'Cause there ain't nobody else<br>You want to be  
>If how your living isn't working<br>There's one thing that'll help  
>You got to finally just stop searching<br>To find yourself

You gotta scream until  
>There's nothing left<br>With your last breath, so  
>Here I am, here I am<br>Make'em listen  
>'Cause there is no way you'll be ignored<br>Not anymore, say  
>Here I am, here I am<br>Here I am, here I am

The world better make some room  
>Yeah, move over, over.<br>Cause you're coming through  
>Cause you're coming through<p>

Ch 23 Control

I made my way down the private school's hallways looking for locker 107. Max had called me to ask me if I could bring him his chemistry book that he'd left at home and put it in his locker for him. I had breathed a sigh of relief at hearing his words. He had never called me from school before so I'd gotten scared at seeing his number on my phone, thinking that something was wrong.

I finally found his locker and unlocked it, stuffing his book into the mess inside. He really needed to learn how to be more organized. Well, almost everyone at home did. Apart from Antonio and me, everyone else was a disaster in this respect. I had been appalled to walk into each of their bedrooms to find clothes and personal items strewn all over the place. It's probably just a guy thing, but Antonio didn't seem to follow the norm.

I closed the locker and started making my way back down the hall, looking forward to spending the afternoon with my brothers. We were going to have a Halo tournament and then pair up to play Uncharted to see who lasted longer in the crushingly hard arenas. I knew who my partner would be even if we hadn't agreed on them yet. Max always made sure I was paired up with Reese. Hell, he made it his personal duty to give us as much time alone as possible, not that he needed to do much for that. My room was as much mine as Reese's nowadays. He slept in it almost daily. I know, I know, I really should tell him to take a hike, but I just can't. I know that it's odd for him to be sleeping with me when no one else slept together, but I just didn't know how to breach that conversation with him.

I hate to admit it, but I was starting to lose it. Ever since my performance last week I've had to take some measures when I'm alone with Reese. Like not letting myself get too close to his mouth or avoiding straddling him too far below the hip. Like I said, I'm losing it. My control on my feelings and impulses are thinning and one day I'm going to do something I'm sure to regret. And the wolf wasn't helping at all. Every time I'm alone with Reese in my room or in the music room, she starts growling at me to do something. Talk about bossy.

I jumped as I heard a thump up ahead and froze on the spot. I strained my ears and heard urgent murmurs coming from the washroom a few doors down. Cautiously, I approached the girls' bathroom and as I neared it I was able to pick up the unmistakable sounds of struggle and make out the words.

"S-stop," I heard a girl's voice say and I was able to clearly make out the notes of panic and fear, making the wolf rise. "You're hurting me. Mark, p-please." Oh, shit. I swung the door open and had to force myself not to pounce the moment I walked in. All I could see of the girl were her legs that were pinned against the far wall by Mark's. I growled lowly at the huge bully, catching his attention. He had his back to me but he turned around without letting go of his prey and looked at me with surprise and then a smile spread over his hideous features. I caught the look of terror on the light brown haired girl's face, but I quickly returned my focus to the threat.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the freak's sister," he sneered. "Come to join us?" I had to force my wolf down at those words. The girl wasn't anything to me, but I felt responsible for her current situation. I should have taken care of this asshole when I'd had the chance.

"Um, no. I'm not brain dead yet," I said, but he just frowned at me, obviously not catching on. Idiot. "She's not either, so how about you let her go and go fuck yourself?" I said calmly, gently preparing my body to pounce. Had he been a true predator he would have seen the signs, but he wasn't so he ignored my change in stance.

"Na, uh. Amy here owes me, but you're free to join us if you want," he said, grinning evilly at the girl who whimpered. He had her hands pinned over her head and he had his hips pressed against her. Tears were streaming down her face and I could smell the fear rolling off of her in tidal waves mixed with the smell of Mark's arousal. Sadistic bastard. Her fear turns him on. Damn it, what was I supposed to do? I couldn't hurt him, not permanently, but that just might happen if I dislodged him from Amy. Damn it, think!

Before I had reached a decision, Mark moved his hands down to Amy's jeans and started pressing his hand against her down south. I hadn't even realized I'd pounced until it was too late. I grabbed the hand that he was pressing into Amy's lower parts and swung it back. Mark howled in pain, dropping his hold on Amy's hands and swinging a shot at me which I easily dodged.

"Go," I ordered as soon as she was free. She didn't even hesitate and ran out of there as fast as her short legs would carry her. I took in just how small she was—probably a freshman—before the door swung shut behind her. I turned to face the bastard, the wolf raging within me, just as he tackled me. I didn't have time to react and we both fell to the floor. He pinned me down with the weight of his body while my head spun from hitting the cold hard floor. He managed to pin one of my hands but not the other. He didn't care. As soon as he had me down he kissed me hard while his free hand wandered down to my lower body parts. I squirmed under the weight of his body, but I wasn't going anywhere. I bit down hard on his lower lip and tasted blood, enraging the wolf. Mark instantly let go of me and brought his hand down. If I hadn't been expecting it I wouldn't have been able to stop the blow he sent my way. I blocked his punch to my face and sent him off balance. I wriggled under him and brought my knee to his groin, hoping to the universe that I did some permanent damage.

Mark rolled off of me in pain and I jumped up, eager to get out of there before he forced me to really hurt him. Too late. As I tried to move to the door, he tried to tackle me again, but I heard him moving. I spun around at the last moment and grabbed his arm, pulling it back harder than before and was rewarded with a sharp snap as I saw his shoulder pop. He howled with pain and fell to the floor, cradling his arm.

I watched for a moment as he wheezed, kneeling on the floor. The wolf raged within me, telling me to teach the idiot a lesson he wasn't likely to forget any time soon, unless he had short term memory loss. But I held her down. I had already hurt him and was likely to be punished for it. I would not make it worse by attacking him when he was down. That would be cowardly and the wolf agreed that it wasn't right, albeit grudgingly.

Without another word, I turned around and started walking out of there. Yes, I was leaving him hurt in the girls' washroom; he didn't deserve my help. In the hallway I followed the stink of fear to an empty classroom. Before entering, I noticed that my jeans felt loose and I looked down to see that the asshole had managed to untie them. Growling softly to myself as I fixed my jeans, I opened the door and walked in to find the girl huddled in a corner, curled up in a ball on the floor, sobbing hysterically. I hesitated, unsure if I should do anything, but I knew I had to at least make sure if she was okay.

As I neared her I caught the scent of blood. Rage stormed through me and I had to force myself to keep walking towards the girl and to not spin around and go beat the crap out of Mark. Even if he weren't injured, he didn't stand a chance against me, though he towered over my five foot two and was at least three times my body mass. I kneeled down beside the girl who jumped as I touched her lightly. Fear shot through her until she saw it was me.

"Are you hurt?" I asked. I wasn't going to ask if she was okay. That was just stupid; she obviously wasn't. Slowly, she nodded as she wiped the tears off her face and bared her neck to me. A wolf would see this as submission, but she was only showing me the bite marks on her neck. I took a deep breath and headed over to the first aid kit in the corner of the classroom. Nifty school this. Max had told me that they were well-equipped for almost everything. Apparently he was right. I grabbed the kit and went back to the girl, silently setting to work on her wound. It wasn't deep so I just cleaned and disinfected it.

"You should go tell the headmaster. I'll go with you if you want," I said, knowing full well that it wasn't a good idea. I had broken a guy three times my size's arm. Someone was bound to notice something odd.

"N-no. My parents can't find out I'm being bullied. They w-won't be happy with m-me," she sobbed and broke down again, dropping her head into her knees. A wave of sympathy rolled off of me before I could stop it. Her parents would be angry with her? Now where have I heard that before? I knew that it would be pointless to try to convince her that her parents would care since I knew what it was like to be in her position, so I did the only thing I could do. I grabbed a pen and paper from a nearby table and wrote down my number.

"Here," I said, holding the scrap of paper to her and waited for her to lift her head up. When she did, she looked at me and then at the paper confused. "If you ever need help or just want to talk, give me a call. I'm Kim, Max Sorrentino's sister," I said, hoping the name would ring a bell. It did.

"I know him. Mark pick's on him a lot. He pushed Max into a locker this morning, but Max didn't do anything and just walked away," she croaked, clearly unable to believe that Max was capable of just walking away. I nodded, smiling slightly. God, I was proud of my brother. He was starting to act so much more mature nowadays.

"I'll talk with him if you want and if you can't reach me for some reason, you can always go to him," I said, already thinking of how I was going to convince Max to help a girl—Amy her name was—he didn't know nor cared about. Maybe Addison could help me.

After making sure she wasn't going to break down anymore I escorted her to her classroom. Thankfully, her long hair covered the bite marks. I then went back to my car and tore out of the parking lot. I kept my wolf and rage at bay until I got home. I decided not to go in just yet, though. I needed to calm down and get my wolf under wraps before I faced Antonio. He wasn't home yet, but Nick was as were Clay and Elena. Yes, I definitely needed to cool off before I faced my punishment.

I took off into the woods and followed the path beyond the guest house, a.k.a. Reese's house. I wandered until I reached a small clearing. It was still very cold as we were in February still, but it was no longer snowing. I sat down leaning against a fallen tree and closed my eyes, allowing the smells of the forest to calm me. Reese's scent would work better, but this was good enough for now.

I hurt a human. A bully, a predator, a threat, but a human nonetheless. Could I have avoided hurting him? Possibly, but I hadn't been able to think. The wolf saw pain and suffering at the hands of an enemy and reacted. The sadistic bastard had been preying on the weak and helpless. Little girls and boys that couldn't defend themselves. He'd tried to prey on me as well, but I wasn't weak or helpless, not anymore. I was David against Goliath. I had saved that girl from certain rape, I was sure, and myself—though I doubt he would have managed to subdue me. But did that excuse me? I think so, but I was going to find out soon enough.

The adrenaline of the fight still ran through my veins and the wolf was thirsting for another that I would not give. I had managed to keep her mostly under control and I knew that was something to be proud of. Controlling the wolf under a stressful or new situation is very difficult, but I'd managed, barely. It was the wolf that pounced when Mark had been touching the girl and it had been the wolf's instincts that had made me react to his tackle. But still, I had hurt a human. Something that was forbidden. I had broken Pack Law.

I mentally prepared myself to face Antonio and the others under the shelter of the trees until I heard the sound of a motor from a distance. From the sound of it I knew it was Antonio's car. He's back early. Well, we may as well get this show on the road. Not only did I have to tell him the truth about what had just happened, but I would have to explain what had happened that day after Max's game. I should have told him then, I knew that now. Mark was mentally ill and needed to be taken care of. Permanently, but that was just the wolf talking. I think.

I neared the house from the front and I could hear Antonio yelling. Uh oh. I hated it when Antonio yelled. He almost never directed his anger at me, but I still hated seeing him angry. As I shut the door behind me, silence fell throughout the house, until I heard Antonio's voice.

"Kimberley Anne, get your ass in here, now," I heard Antonio growl from the living room. I stopped in my tracks, stunned. Speaking of never being angry at me. He must really be pissed if he was taking that tone with me, even more so if he was using my middle name. He never used my middle name. I didn't ask for his special treatment, though, and I'd even tried to convince him that it wasn't necessary, but he would have none of that. I was his princess, he had said. Not right now it seemed.

I walked down the hallway and into the living room to find Max standing inches away from Antonio and Elena, Clay and Nick in the corner, playing cards abandoned on the table between then. What the hell was Max doing home? Oh, shit. Did Mark say something? Max suddenly sat down and Antonio turned to face me, fire sparking in his eyes and his wolf at the front. Oh, snap.

"Max got into trouble with a kid at school today and he told me you have been helping him. Explain this," Antonio demanded. I glanced at Max and saw conflicting emotions behind his eyes. What the hell had Mark done to Max? Anger roared through me at the thought of the bastard hurting my brother, but I pushed it down and faced Antonio. I'd have to tell him the truth. I'd been feeling awful for hiding the truth about Max's bullying from him, so now I would tell him the truth. There was no working around it and I honestly didn't want to.

"Max has been being bullied for a really long time by this Mark guy. One day I went to pick him up and I saw he was, well, kind of in a fight," I said, starting from the beginning. Max looked up at me then, but I ploughed on. Antonio had to know the truth and he needed to hear it from me. I was responsible for Max by being the eldest between the two of us and I needed to make this right. "I stopped him and told him to calm down and think and he did," I explained.

"Max," Antonio groaned. He seemed dismayed by the truth, but I wasn't done. Max was not at fault here, I was, he was only the victim, just like I had been for most of my life.

"Antonio, he has done really well considering what this guy has been doing to him. He's not just calling him names but physically pushing him into lockers, tearing pages out of his books and throwing them to the ground, ruining them, and he's pursuing him all over the school, calling him names and threatening him. The fact that Max has not attacked or done anything to this guy is really remarkable," I said and almost sighed in relief at seeing Antonio's face turn from anger to sympathy as he turned to Max.

"Why haven't you told me any of this, bambino?" he asked. Max just shrugged.

"I wanted you to think I was doing well, dad, I didn't want you to pull me out of school or anything. I can handle this guy," Max said. Antonio shook his head and I saw fear flicker through Max's eyes.

"You are doing well, Max, and I am proud of you. I'm not taking you out of school but I am going to go and deal with this Mark kid so he doesn't bother you again," Antonio said. Max nodded and I saw him relax. I knew that he worried about disappointing Tonio more than I did sometimes. Unfortunately for me, Antonio was going to have something more to be disappointed about other than my lying to him.

"When you go in can you ask how the hell he broke his arm, dad? I don't know, but if he hated me that much to go and break his own arm and blame it on me, well, it's kind of scary," Max said. I saw Antonio nod and then he said something, looking at me and Max, but it didn't register. Oh, shit. I was so going to get it. I broke his arm and he blamed it on Max? What the hell is wrong with that guy? Still, a trickle of guilt that soon turned into a flood flowed through me. Damn it. If I had just told Antonio from the beginning, none of this would have happened. I felt like I was about to be sick. I suddenly realized that Max was looking at me slightly concerned and I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I did it," I said, my voice trembling slightly, "I broke his arm." Silence fell as all the heads in the room turned my way, but I didn't look at them, only at Antonio. I could see the shock and disbelief on his face but I knew he would believe me. I had never lied to him before.

"Kim, we need to talk," Antonio said. I could see Max looking between us, worry clouding his gaze, but Antonio motioned for him to leave. He didn't like that, but I knew he wouldn't dream of disobeying Antonio while he was in this state. Max left without another word and Antonio motioned for me to sit on the couch beside him. I hurried over, needing to just sit down and relax for a bit. Apparently I hadn't managed to subdue the wolf entirely and now she was upset that Antonio was pissed with us. Antonio sat beside me and waited for him to start talking, as I stared at the floor by my feet.

"Tell us what happened, Kim," I heard Elena say. I looked up to find her before me. I mentally kicked myself. Of course Elena would be taking care of this. She was the Alpha elect, after all, and I had broken Pack law. Oh, shit, I was in trouble.

With all the calm that I could muster, I told them what happened, exactly what happened, without leaving anything out. I told them about my encounter with Mark in the washroom after Max's game a few weeks ago and then about the latest one. I told them how he had pinned the girl against the wall and had had every intention of taking it all the way. His arousal could not have been faked, meaning that he had been turned on by her fear. Really disgusting and I could see in everyone's faces that they agreed, especially Elena. I told them how my wolf reacted with the need to protect the weak and my inability to stop her before she snapped Mark's arm. Four snarls met my words when I spoke of how Mark had tried to go for me once Amy had left, but Elena motioned for me to continue. I had nothing more to say, though; I didn't want to say anything about what I did for Amy. That would lead to a conversation I really didn't want to have, not yet. No one spoke once I'd finished and I didn't dare look up to see their reactions. Suddenly, Antonio took my shoulders and spun me around to face him and pulled me to him instantly. I froze in his arms, not understanding his reaction. Wasn't he angry?

"I'm so proud of you, princess," he said gently. Wait, what? I pulled away from him and stared into his face to find him smiling. He chuckled when he saw my confused expression.

"You didn't honestly think you'd be punished for defending the innocents, did you?" he chuckled. I frowned and then shrugged. I honestly hadn't known what to expect, but I had at least expected some kind of punishment. I had lost control of myself, if only slightly, after all.

"You did good, Kim," Elena said and I finally turned to face her. I flushed when I saw her smiling. I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see Clay beside me. When I looked up, he nodded in agreement to Elena's words.

"But I lost control of her for an instant. If I hadn't, then maybe I wouldn't have broken his arm," I said, turning back to face Elena. She shook her and kept smiling.

"No, hun. The wolves are a part of us we just can't ignore. There will always be situations where you will be unable to contain yours completely. You're a dominant, Kim, and you felt the need to protect the weak, it called to your wolf. There was nothing you could have done to control her in that moment." Oh. I hadn't thought of it like that, but I guess it makes sense.

In the wild, female wolves aren't very dominant. They submit to the male wolves and let them lead. Only the Alpha female has notable dominance and the rest take their status from their mates. I have no mate but I take my status from my dominance. I was more dominant than both Noah and Max. Technically, Noah should rank higher than me in the Pack hierarchy but he's too submissive. I only submit when the need calls for it, like when I have to submit to my elders. I honestly hadn't really thought about it up until then, but it made sense. The more dominant a wolf, the more it felt the need to protect. That's why the Alpha was also the most dominant and the one that had the most control over his wolf.

"I understand," I said once I'd thought it through. Why hadn't I thought about this sooner? It would explain why Max and Noah do whatever I tell them to do and now that I think about it, it felt weird. Well, it felt weird to the human who thought that it all seemed very archaic, but the wolf understood and accepted it all.

"However, had you given in to the impulse to hurt him while he was down, then that would have warranted a punishment. Do you understand why?" Elena asked. I nodded.

"Yes. He's human and is weaker than me, more so if he's injured. Attacking him while he was already down for the count would have been like attacking a sleeping child," I said. Elena nodded her agreement as did Nick who stood directly behind her. Antonio still had an arm around me, gently rubbing circles into my shoulder.

We were Pack and we had to set an example for the mutts. We could not treat humans as if they were beneath us. Hurting a human just because we could would not be right, it would be downright cowardly. It would be like acting just as Mark had, taking advantage of the weak just because you're bigger and think you're better than them.

"Kimberly, I would like you to go up to your room now. I'll be up there soon," Antonio said, removing his arm from around my shoulders. I mentally cringed but was thankful nonetheless. He needed to give me a good talking to and punish me for my lying to him, but at least he wasn't going to do it in front of everyone. I don't think he knew that my parents would never have cared if there was company or not.

I nodded to him and then silently made my way out of the living room and up to my room. Once inside, I collapsed on the bed and just lied there, absorbed in my thoughts. I'd done the right thing. I smiled to myself when I thought this. I have control over the wolf, which I knew was a good thing or Reese and I wouldn't still be as close as we are now. I was certain that any day now I'd lose control over my impulses and just kiss him, shooting everything I'd gained to hell. He doesn't want me and I would just destroy everything I had with him if I did anything, I was sure of it.

I'd been lying on my bed for about half an hour before I finally heard a knock at my door. "Sweetheart, it's me," Antonio called. I gave him permission to come in but I didn't move from my bed. I needed to be calm. I knew what I had to do. He would want to know why I lied to him and for that I'd have to tell him about my past. The past that I'd wanted to avoid so badly that I lied to him and put Max at risk because of it. I'd been hiding my broken me for so long now, though she was silently healing, that I felt the need to just let her out, like I did when I sang. Singing was my emotional release and it was the one time I could feel like my true self. I have a feeling that when I performed last week I left this quite clear to the entire Pack, but no one had said anything for which I was thankful.

Ever since I'd come to live with Antonio, no, ever since I was bitten, everyone has been encouraging me and trying to boost my confidence. They all knew I had a severe lack of confidence, but no one knew why. Max did after the Mark incident, but that was it. I think everyone else just thought it was because of my parents and it kind of was, but it had been multiplied tenfold because of my bullying. But because of all these people, the Pack and my family, I have been healing for the last few months, something I had never thought possible. Now it was time to take that final step to complete my healing. It would hurt, but I knew it would be worth it.

I felt the mattress beside me sink under Antonio's weight and I opened my eyes to find him staring down at me. I sat up and immediately sought out the haven that were his arms. I breathed him in, letting his scent soothe me as much as possible while I prepared myself. He held me silently, rubbing circles into my back, waiting for me to begin. After a few minutes, I was finally ready and pulled away from him, looking into his eyes while he held me from around the waist.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, lowering my head in submission, "I should have told you about Max and Mark." His grip on my waist tightened around me and he was silent for a few moments before his answer came, but I kept my gaze down. This was the wolf in me. I had been "bad" and I would submit to the older wolf that was going to punish my bad behaviour.

"Why were you helping Max, sweetheart?" he asked softy. I looked up into his eyes and felt tears prickle at my eyes. This was going to hurt, but I would tell him. I'd tell him about the hell I went through from the moment I arrived to the States, about the dark years formerly known as high school.

"Because I was bullied," I whispered and I saw him stiffen. He was always so protective of me and I loved him for it. He was always trying to protect me from the world but there was nothing he could do about this, just like he could do nothing to change what had happened to Max in his previous life before joining the Pack.

"Tell me," he whispered back. I hesitated, unsure of how to begin. I had kept this within me for so long, hidden from the world to avoid more pain, but I needed to tell him. I had told Max the basics but I couldn't do that with Antonio. I loved him, he was my…_father_. When he saw my uncertainty, Antonio pulled me to him once more, making me sit on his lap while I rested my head on his shoulder. I muttered a thank you. He knew exactly how much the comfort that his arms, Reese's, Noah's, Max's and Nick's, affected me. It made me feel so protected, despite the fact that I knew he should be angry with me for lying, but he seemed to sense that there was more to it than just a lie. After all I had never lied to him before and for me to have done so there must be a very good reason behind it.

"It was kind of like what Mark has been doing to Max, only it wasn't only one person or a group of them against me. It was my entire year, even people I didn't know. The fact that I was different, slightly larger for a girl my size, shyer…" I had to stop then, to catch my breath as my throat constricted but I ploughed on. "People mostly ignored me until the cheerleaders decided I was prey. They made it their mission to corner me in crowded places and humiliate me, normally focusing on my body." I inhaled deeply, trying to remain calm, but tears were already falling. "I've always eaten more than I needed to, it was my way of numbing the pain and of…punishing myself," I croaked and couldn't continue. Antonio started rubbing circles in my back again, telling me it was okay, that I didn't have to continue, but I wanted to. I needed to.

"I spent my years at school hearing the words 'fat', 'stupid', 'freak' and…'ugly' resonate throughout the halls and classrooms. At home, things…things weren't well and I…I…" I couldn't continue as the sobs assaulted me. I took a moment to calm down again before going on. "Things weren't well, not at home or school. And one day, my mother gave me some b-bad news. My…my grandmother had died." Antonio pulled me even closer at these words if that was even possible, but I kept talking. Now that I'd started I needed to finish. "I was so depressed. The day after my mother told me that, I was cornered in the cafeteria and had almost the entire school laugh at me as a guy rejected me and I had never even talked to him. I ran to the bathrooms and took the scissors out of my bag…" I stopped. That was it. I broke down. I had never, ever told anyone about that, not even Abbey. Just remembering that day was like taboo for me.

I could feel Antonio's grip on me tighten so much that breathing became difficult. Or was it because of my uncontrollable sobbing? I'm not sure, the only thing I was sure of was that I needed to relax and in order to do that I had to let go. Antonio held me tight against him while he rubbed circles into my back and shoulder and whispered comforts into my ear, though they were unintelligible to me. I'm not entirely certain of how long it took, but eventually my breathing evened out and the sobs stopped coming, though tears still fell.

"I didn't do it," I whispered into his chest, not daring to look at him. "I c-couldn't. I d-don't think that's what my grandma would have wanted."

"Princess," Antonio whispered but he didn't say anything else. I'm not sure if he even knew what to say.

"Two days later I met Abbey and b-by helping her I helped myself. She helped me move on, she made me want to keep living. I owe her so much…," I croaked, trailing off. Abbey had no idea how timely our meeting had been. Had we not met I'm not sure what kind of person I would be today.

At the time of our meeting, Abbey had been having trouble at home. Her parents were having a hard time, living in different houses for the time being, arguing continually, and she had had a huge fight with them, just hours before we met at the music academy. Against my better judgement I had asked what was wrong. To my surprise she told me and was crying on my shoulder within minutes. Since I have a tendency to cry when those around me are as well I was crying on her shoulder too.

She helped me through my minor problems, like a few discussions I'd had with my parents or some problems at school. With her help, I patched up some of the wounds, only the smallest, I'll admit, but it helped, it really helped. Without her, I'm not sure if I would be here today.

I heard a soft noise come from Antonio's chest in that moment and I suddenly found it odd that he had yet to say anything. I gently pulled away from him and held onto him as I looked into his eyes. They were filled to the brim with water and a few tears had already fallen. He smiled when I met his eyes and pulled me to him again so our foreheads where touching. I closed my eyes, embracing the older wolf's comfort. I basked in his warmth until the tears stopped falling and then pulled away.

"I didn't tell you about Mark because I was afraid of talking about this," I said in a calmer voice now. "I hadn't wanted to hurt you and Max was doing really well, but Mark is just…," I trailed off; having no idea what epithet best described the moron. "I'm so sorry. I should have said something. I put Max in danger—"

"Don't, princess," he said firmly, cutting me off. He raised a hand and cupped my cheek as he looked in my dark brown eyes while I stared into his chocolate brown ones. "This isn't your fault. Mark has a problem and I will make sure the headmaster knows about it," he said gently as he caressed my cheek, wiping away the last remnants of my tears. "But I never want to be lied to again, not even by omission, understood?" he asked sternly. I nodded, biting my lip.

"Then there's something else I have to tell you," I said. Antonio raised his eyebrow, apparently surprised that there was more that I had to add. I told him about the girl that Mark had cornered in the washrooms and told him what I'd done for her and why. Sadness clouded his eyes as he understood that the girl had reminded me of myself with her parent situation. The moment I was done, he pulled me to him and murmured "I love you", something about not being angry and that he cared so very much about me. And that I was important to him, that I was his daughter and he loved me so much. I whimpered at the word daughter and uncontrollable tears fell forward.

He said I was his daughter. He thought of himself as my father and he was. From the moment we met he was my father. No man I had ever met had even come close to being what Antonio was to me, my father. Not my stepfather, not my biological father, no one. Only Antonio. He was my father in every way that counted, because for a werewolf pack, blood was unimportant. At least in this werewolf pack.

I regained composure after a few minutes and then asked the question I had never had to ask in this house before. "What's my punishment?" I asked. I may have done the right thing today, but I had lied to Antonio and I would be punished for it. However, I knew he would never hurt me. He wasn't my stepfather. Antonio studied my eyes for a moment before I looked away. I could see it pained him to have to punish me. For some reason it was more difficult than punishing the boys. He ran a hand through his hair in a familiar gesture found in this house and sighed again before answering.

"Grounded, two weeks. No going to the movies, no videogames, no going out. You go to the academy and back, no more. Understood?" he asked. I nodded, accepting the punishment as fair. He then pulled me to him again and kissed my hair. I inhaled deeply, breathing in his musky scent. "Don't ever give me another reason for punishing you, princess," he said into my hair and I whimpered softly, hearing how much love dripped from his words. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too…dad," I said, unable to stop myself from calling him that. He had said that I was his daughter, so why couldn't I call him dad? I heard a soft whine come from him as he rubbed his cheek against my hair. His wolf was close at hand for him to be comforting me so much like a wolf would. Eventually he pulled away from me, giving me one last kiss on the forehead and another I love you before leaving my room. I lied back down on the bed, knowing that he was now going to go see Max and that he was going to be punished as well.

I couldn't help but feel guilty as I heard Antonio make his way to Max's room. I had been so damn scared of sharing my past and it had all been for nought. Antonio didn't reject me, in fact he embraced me, he loved me like he would a daughter, I was his daughter. But my fear of him pushing me away had made me put Max in harm's way. Mark was unstable, I could see that now, and he could have easily have lost it with Max, Amy or any one of his other victims. I would make sure he never had the chance to prey on anyone else, though. I would go with Antonio to Max's school and speak with the headmaster. I'm sure we could pull something off for me breaking Mark's arm. I'm not sure but I think I dislocated his shoulder, or did I break it? Something had snapped. Oh, well. In any case, I would make sure Mark was taken care of and I don't mean just expelled from his school. The guy needed some serious help.

I took a deep breath and decided I needed some space. Normally I'd go down and spend some time with Clay and Elena, training or just hanging, but I didn't feel like it today. I was still a little worked up about opening old wounds and I just needed to be alone for now. I grabbed the book from my bed-side table, Pride and Prejudice, and lost myself in the 19th century.

About an hour later, I heard a knock on my door and I waited for my visitor to announce themselves. "Kim, its Max," I heard Max call. Oh, damn. Somehow I had forgotten about Max. Great, what kind of a sister are you, Kim? What was I going to tell him? Should I tell? How would he react? Did it matter? I pushed all these thoughts aside and got up, quietly walking over to the door. "Kim, I just really—" Max started to say but stopped when he heard the door click and I opened it.

"Hi, Max," I greeted with a small smile. Standing there was my brother Max, the youngest in the Sorrentino household, but that didn't mean I loved him any less. He was still smaller than me but he had grown in the time that we'd known each other. He had a special place in my heart since he had been the first to accept me for me after telling him about my bullying.

He was studying me intently so I avoided his gaze, looking everywhere and anywhere but at him. I knew I still looked like a mess. I hadn't bothered cleaning up after speaking with Antonio and I could feel the dry tears on my face still. Within seconds he came forward and hugged me, pulling me to him. I hesitated slightly but then returned the embrace full force. He whispered that it was okay and rubbed my back, just like Antonio always did, to calm me down, but I didn't need it. I was calm. Feeling a little unbalanced after my talk with Tonio, but calm nonetheless. Max closed the door behind him and guided me back to my bed. He sat beside me, facing me.

"Tell me what happened, Kim. How and why did you break Mark's arm?" he asked. I stared at my bedcovers for a moment before answering. Max had a tendency to be protective over me as did all the men in this house, but I had no idea how he would take this. Antonio had been pissed when I'd told everyone my first encounter with Mark, but then he had been proud of me. Well, I would tell Max anyway, he deserved to know why he had been expelled.

"I went to leave you your book at school and I was leaving when I heard the sounds of a struggle in the girls' lavatory. I went in and found Mark preparing to rape a girl. I told him to leave her alone and to go fuck himself," I started and saw Max grin. He knew I almost never swore and that I was often telling him off for his badmouthing. "He ignored me and went back to the girl. I got him off of her and the girl escaped, but then he tried to take me. His arousal grew once he had me on the floor," I told him and I saw the fury enter his eyes, but I pressed on before he could react. "I managed to get him off of me, but I lost it for a moment and broke his arm," I said softly. I watched as Max's eyes filled with fire and the wolf.

Without warning, he leapt off the bed and started pacing angrily before me. Yep, I have very protective brothers, but Max was just so in tune with his wolf that sometimes he was more protective and dominant than someone his size and age should be. The fact that he was so angry made me realize just how much he really cared about me. I hadn't had the chance to see his protective side in this way and it both scared me and filled me with warmth. Suddenly, he turned to me and I almost winced at what I saw. I could see the wolf behind his human eyes, pacing and anxiously awaiting battle. Oh, shit, so not good.

"He's dead. I don't care what Pack trouble I get into, he's dead, Kim," he growled angrily, snarling just like a wolf would.

"Max, no. Calm down. I took care of it, okay?" I said calmly, trying to use my dominance over him, but he just shook his head. Damn it. If he went after the idiot he would definitely be punished. "Max, please," I pleaded as I realized the danger his animal instinct to protect his family posed. Antonio had been pissed as well but he was in control of the wolf. Max was not, mostly because of the problems he had suffered in result to the abuse he endured in his previous life.

Max looked up at me then and I knew he would see fear in my eyes. We all knew what would happen if he went after the human. He would either be beaten or killed. I would not let that happen. I stood and hugged him fiercely, hoping to force some calm into him so he would stop and think for a moment. I knew that once he'd calmed down and the wolf was forced back he would see things clearly. I just had to get him there and I knew that hugs worked best.

"Kim, don't be afraid of him," I heard him whisper into my shoulder. I tensed in his arms but quickly relaxed. He didn't understand. He thought I was afraid of the idiot, but I was afraid of what he might do. He couldn't go after Mark seeking revenge. No, I would not let my brother take the fall for something that could and should have been taken care of weeks ago, if only I'd told Antonio the truth from the very beginning.

"I'm not, Max, I'm afraid you're going to go and kill him. You'll be in so much trouble. Jeremy might even...," I couldn't finish that sentence. The punishment for killing a human was a beating from Clay himself or execution. I tightened my embrace as I thought of losing my brother. I would lock him in my wardrobe if I had to unless I got through to him. But I knew it wouldn't be necessary as soon as I felt him nod into my shoulder. I relaxed in his arms, knowing that he knew what was in store for him should he go after Mark.

"He needs to be taught a lesson," he growled and pulled away from me, looking me in the eyes so I could see the fire in his, but I shook my head. I was going to have to act like the higher ranking wolf I was if I was going to protect him.

"No, Max. I'm forbidding you to do anything. It's not worth the punishment and you might not even survive someone beating the crap out of you. You certainly would never trust the Pack again. You'd never be the same. Please, don't," I said, softening my tone towards the end. I may be higher ranking than him, but he was still my little brother. Besides, I still felt really weird when I had to give orders. I saw understanding light up behind his eyes and I breathed a soft sigh of relief. There was no denying the truth behind my words. Max had been beaten all his life by people he thought were his parents. He would never be able to live with the people he loved if they did the same to him. I don't think I'd be able to stay if they did that to him either, nor, I think, could Antonio, and thus breaking the Pack apart, but there was no way I could be certain of this.

"Fine, Kim, but it's not fair," he gave in, but I just nodded. I was too relieved to say anything just yet. I could still feel and smell his anger roll off of him, but I was quite certain that he wouldn't be doing anything stupid anytime soon.

"Max, I… I'm sorry, but I think I need to be alone for a while," I said. I hated throwing people out of my room, but I really just wanted to be alone. My talk with Antonio and now this had left me in desperate need of some thinking time. I still needed to talk to him about Amy, but that could wait for now. Max didn't seem at all perturbed by my request. He gave me a light kiss on the cheek before leaving, saying that if I needed him I just had to call.

I laied back down on the bed once he was gone. Gosh, my brother was getting better at control. True, he'd needed a little help to calm down and not go tearing after Mark the moment I finished speaking, but he'd managed to calm down eventually without ripping any heads off. I was now quite thankful that I had the control I had over my wolf. I have no idea what it would have been like if I had had to go through the Change like everyone else. The wolf in total command and completely ruled by its instincts. Yes, I had lost control for one small moment today, but now I knew that there was nothing that I could have done to hold the wolf down in that instant. If I'm attacked I'll react like a wolf does, fighting fire with fire. I smiled to myself as I realized that at least I was now able to fight fire.

I rested in the bed for a while longer just clearing my thoughts and letting my erratic emotions settle. My talk with Antonio had left my wounds a little raw, so maybe all I needed to do was rest a while but I didn't feel like it. I didn't want to be alone, I realized. By talking to Antonio about what had happened, I had allowed myself to free myself of my dark past. It was still there obviously and it was never going to go away, but I could change the way it affected me. I needed to be with my family; I needed to feel our bond to keep me from hurting. I jumped off the bed and ran over to Max's room. I knocked and waited for a reply but none came. Cautiously I opened the door and took a look inside. The room was empty, though I could pick up Max's scent from less than a half hour ago. And Reese's. Why was Reese in Max's room?

I decided to just let it drop and went downstairs where I found Nick who told me that Max and Reese had gone out. For some reason that seemed odd, but I just shrugged it off and went into the kitchen. Noah was peeling potatoes by the counter and had his back to me. Silently I tip toed over to him. As soon as I reached him I went for his sides. He let go of the peeler and we fell to the floor tickling each other awkwardly as we struggled for the upper hand. Eventually I let Noah up and helped him with dinner. He asked me how my day went and I hesitated a moment too long.

"Is everything okay, Kim?" he asked worriedly. I glanced at him and took in the knife in his hand and his battle stance, meaning he was prepared to go seek revenge on whoever had hurt me. Gosh, werewolves are protective, more so when it comes to the females, I think.

I didn't want to lie to Noah and he was my brother so I told him what had happened since Antonio and Nick had yet to inform him and Reese. I told him everything that had happened from the moment I entered Max's school until my conversation with Antonio. I even told him about the girl, Amy. But I couldn't tell him about my shame filled moment. No, not yet. I would tell him one day but not just yet. When I was done, Noah was beyond furious. He may be submissive but he was as protective as any dominant. However, it took him less time to relax than it had for Max. Pride shone in his eyes once the fury had passed and he quickly pulled me to him.

"I'm really proud of you, baby sister," he whispered into my shoulder. Tears prickled my eyes at his words and I let them fall but there weren't many thankfully. I think that I had shed enough tears for today. I couldn't be certain but I was quite sure that Noah was saying he was proud of me both because of how I handled Mark today and how I had survived through my torture.

We went back to work after that and Noah regaled me with his on tales of his own bullying. I told him a couple of my own episodes, but it was Noah that spoke the most, telling me how hard it was for him especially because of his F.A.E. It wasn't until dinner was almost ready and Noah was on his fifth story that I realized Noah was telling me all this to make me feel better. When I realized this I sprang on him and hugged him fiercely, murmuring an "I love you" into his chest. I pulled away as he leaned down and kissed me lightly on the cheek with a "you too" before going to set the table.

High school had broken me, I knew that now. I had been cracked during my childhood, especially after having moved to the States, but school broke me. Now I was healing, though. I have an amazing family that's helping me move past my problems and my insecurities. They loved me and I loved them. Everything was perfect. Little did I know that that illusion was about to shatter.

Antonio POV

"Calm," I whispered to myself as I sat at my desk with my head in my hands. I'd been sitting here for a while now, trying and failing to calm the wolf down. My talk with Kim had left me unbalanced and I hated feeling like this. I hated feeling and knowing that there was nothing I could do to change the past. I first went through this with Noah, then Max, Reese and now Kim. Yes, I knew about Reese.

Once it became apparent that his wolf had mated him to Kim, he told me everything that had happened to him in Australia and what had happened to his parents. When I asked why he was telling me this now, he just said that he needed me to know that he wasn't a bad person and wasn't going to hurt Kim. I hadn't needed to know this to know that he was a good person, but I suspect that part of his reasons for telling me now was because I was the closest thing that Kim had to a father and he just wanted to reassure me. No, I _was_ Kim's father now. Still, I wished that I could change what had happened to Reese and his parents.

Kim had almost killed herself. She had come so close. I growled lowly as I remembered her tears and how I had been unable to contain my own. She was so small and fragile-looking. She was so strong and free that it was hard to remember how she had been when we had first met. Broken inside and desperately trying to hide it. She'd let go eventually and it had been easy to forget it all. But this brought it all back and made me realize that I'd been wrong.

It wasn't only her parents that had put her through hell and had given her her lack of confidence. Maybe they'd created it, formed it, but high school had engrained it. I wished I could change this, though I already had. I might not be able to change the past, but I'd changed her future, I'd _given_ her a future. She wasn't a depressed teenager, but a strong-willed young woman. I would just have to make sure she was never upset or depressed enough for her to reach the situation that now had me on edge.

Reese POV

I waited anxiously for him to come out, pacing up and down the alley as I kept an eye on Max who was at the mouth of the alley. My brother was a good person but he didn't need to do this, this was something I had to do. This guy had tried to hurt and take Kim, _my_ Kim, my _mate_. He was going to pay. My wolf raged and stormed within me, itching for a fight. I knew what the consequences of my actions would be if anyone ever found out, but I would take them and worse for Kim. I would do anything for her, anything.

Kim's assailant and Max's bully came out then and I couldn't help but imagine him over my mate. In less than a second I had him up against the wall, hot, blinding rage surfacing as my wolf jumped to the forefront. Hopefully I'd be able to control myself before I killed this idiot, but I couldn't be sure.


	24. Ch 24 Undeniable

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled ****Werewolf Law #1** **to know exactly what happened when Reese went after Mark. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge _and_ Aftermath.

**Halo – Beyonce**

Remember those walls I built  
>Well, baby they're tumbling down<br>And they didn't even put up a fight  
>They didn't even make up a sound<p>

I found a way to let you in  
>But I never really had a doubt<br>Standing in the light of your halo  
>I got my angel now<p>

It's like I've been awakened  
>Every rule I had you breakin'<br>It's the risk that I'm takin'  
>I ain't never gonna shut you out<p>

Everywhere I'm looking now  
>I'm surrounded by your embrace<br>Baby I can see your halo  
>You know you're my saving grace<p>

You're everything I need and more  
>It's written all over your face<br>Baby I can feel your halo  
>Pray it won't fade away<p>

I can feel your halo halo halo  
>I can see your halo halo halo<br>I can feel your halo halo halo  
>I can see your halo halo halo<p>

Hit me like a ray of sun  
>Burning through my darkest night<br>You're the only one that I want  
>Think I'm addicted to your light<p>

I swore I'd never fall again  
>But this don't even feel like falling<br>Gravity can't forget  
>To pull me back to the ground again<br>[ Lyrics from: . ]  
>Feels like I've been awakened<br>Every rule I had you breakin'  
>The risk that I'm takin'<br>I'm never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now  
>I'm surrounded by your embrace<br>Baby I can see your halo  
>You know you're my saving grace<p>

You're everything I need and more  
>It's written all over your face<br>Baby I can feel your halo  
>Pray it won't fade away<p>

I can feel your halo halo halo  
>I can see your halo halo halo<br>I can feel your halo halo halo  
>I can see your halo halo halo<p>

Ch 24 Undeniable

"Fancy a game of Halo later?" Noah asked me as we finished setting the table. I shook my head at him and sighed.

"Can't. Grounded for lying," I said. Understanding lightened Noah's eyes, but he said nothing. It was the first time that I had been grounded within this household, but Noah knew that my lying to Antonio had been out of love. I'd just wanted to protect my brother but now I realized that there had been better ways to do it.

Nick came into the dining room then and told Noah to give us a moment. As soon as the door was closed, Nick got down to business. "Are you okay?" he asked warily. Antonio must have spoken to him then. I wonder how much he had told him, though. I nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. I was still upset, but not because of the incident with Mark. Right now, I couldn't care less. What was still eating at me was the fact that I had finally opened my heart up to Antonio just a while ago, but my time with Noah had lightened my mood.

Without warning, I stepped forward and hugged Nick. I honestly didn't know what Nick was to me, some kind of mix between older brother, father figure and uncle. It didn't matter really. I loved him because he was my family and he needed to know that. He returned the hug hesitantly as if unsure about it. I pulled back to look him in his heart-stopping brown eyes and saw that he was confused with my reaction. Antonio had definitely spoken to him, so I honestly couldn't blame him for his reaction.

"I'm sorry you had to live with all that, sweetheart. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like to go to school like that, but if you ever want to talk—"

"I know where to find you," I said, cutting him off with a smile he returned. I hugged my father/uncle/brother again as I realized that I had been like a crumbling building until now, well, until the day I was bitten. From the moment I met the Pack, my healing began, though it had taken me a while to realize it for what it was.

I pulled away from Nick just as Antonio walked in. He exchanged silent communication with his son who then left. Silently Antonio took me in his arms and just held me. I breathed him in, feeling truly accepted. He now understood why I had always acted the way I had and why I had always lacked self confidence, especially when it came to my image and body. Nick knew now too, but Antonio reassured me that he hadn't told him about my "moment". Noah knew almost everything as well, but like Nick he was clueless as to the almost results of my bullying and family situation. I would also fill Max in. He knew I had been bullied and had seen some of its consequences in me, but he didn't know the full extent of it all. I of course will not tell him or Noah about my shame-filled moment, but I would tell Reese. I had to tell Reese. If there was anyone I needed to talk to about all this, it was Reese. I would tell Reese everything. I needed to tell him, I have no idea why but I just had to. I guess I needed to feel truly accepted by him too. They had all accepted the broken me after I'd sung them _Believe in Me_, so now I just had to tell them what had broken me in the first place.

I heard a car near the house and recognized it as Reese's. Guess Max wasn't able to handle the movies. My brother could get very anxious if there were too many strangers and/or humans around him. I extracted myself from Tonio and grinned up at him, feeling slightly elated. I had been healing for months, but everything seemed to be so perfect now. I wasn't totally healed, but I would be. One day I would stop being broken. My past had haunted me for so long, but no more. It was nothing compared to Noah's or Max's, though—I didn't need a therapist to get through my problems, at least not that I knew of—but it was still my own personal hell and I had finally managed to talk about it, about all of it, no matter how painful or shameful.

I went to clean myself up first and then strode back into the dining room where Antonio was already waiting at the head of the table. I took up my usual spot just as Reese walked into the room and I instantly knew that something was wrong. I'm not sure if Antonio noticed, but I spent so much time with Reese that it was hard for him to hide his emotions from me. He had a hard look in his eyes, like he was concentrating intensely. As soon as he sat down to my left, his usual spot, I caught a whiff of nervousness. It was faint, but I was still able to pick it up. I had a really good sense of smell I'm told. My wolf's instinct pushed me to comfort him and I instantly laid a hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly. He turned to look at me and I gave him a small smile but I knew he would be able to see the question in my eyes. He smiled back but it wasn't a true smile. He caught my look but he just shook his head slightly, mouthing "later". I frowned at him but decided to drop it for now.

The smell of his nervousness set off my own for some reason, but Reese was quick to take my hand in his, rubbing it gently to calm me. Not only did we need to talk so he could tell me what was wrong with him, but I also needed to talk to him to tell him what had happened today, though I'd have to be careful about how I did it. If anyone was protective of me in this house, it was Reese and all hell would break loose if he reacted like Max. Hopefully no one would tell him before I got to him.

As we started eating in silence, I noticed that Max wasn't totally here either. He was distracted and Antonio had to keep calling him back to Earth. God, he wasn't still thinking about going after Mark, was he? He kept glancing at Reese for some reason, though. He hadn't told Reese, had he? Damn it, if he was so convinced that Reese and I were mates, he would definitely have gone to Reese.

"What's gotten into everyone today?" Antonio chuckled. He looked around at us, smiling slightly at me, already knowing what was behind my behaviour, but gazed intently on everyone else. "Max," he said gently, leaning over Noah to cover Max's hand with his own. It was amazing to see the size difference between the two, though Max was only slightly smaller than myself. Max now looked alarmed and glanced nervously at Reese. He looked so confused.

The door bell suddenly rang, intruding into the silence that engulfed the dining room. We all looked at each other before Antonio got up and went to get the door. We all waited quietly to see who it was and I laid a hand on Reese's leg again. His nervousness was escalating, igniting my own. Damn it, what's wrong? I growled inwardly as my wolf paced agitated. I did not like the feeling of knowing something was wrong with Reese and that he wasn't telling me. Well, not yet at least, but not knowing had the wolf on edge.

"Mr. Sorrentino, I'm Mr. Ackley, Mark's dad. Our boys had a confrontation today. Your son beat up my son. I am pressing charges," I heard an angry male voice bellow from the foyer. I stiffened as a dozen different emotions bounced within me until anger won out over the rest. Anger at the brother that had defied and betrayed me. I glared at Max in front of me as I heard him gasp, but he was looking at Reese, not me.

"Max," Nick growled beside me and stood, moving over to Max and grabbing his arm. Max stood too, still looking at Reese, confusion clouding his expression. He then turned to me and I knew that he could see the fire in my eyes as the anger flared within me. Why the hell did he defy me? Didn't he understand the trouble he was going to be in now or what the consequences of his actions would be?

"No, Nick," Reese started to say as he stood, but Antonio's voice drowned him out as he called for Max. Max looked pleadingly at Reese before being hauled away by Nick, who had completely ignored Reese.

"Stay here, guys," Nick said, gesturing for Reese to sit back down. I watched Nick and Max as they left the room and then turned my gaze to Reese. He looked defeated. I immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulders and rubbed gently. His stiff, broad shoulders relaxed a little at my touch, but not by much.

"Maximus Elias, look at me," I heard Antonio growl all the way from the foyer. I flinched at his tone. He was really pissed, more than he had been this afternoon, and I knew he had good reason to be. If Max had gone and beaten Mark up… Oh God, what had I done? I should have taken care of Mark when I had the chance, then none of this would have happened. I leaned into Reese's shoulder, seeking his comfort, but he was so lost and anxious that I don't think he noticed me.

"Is this your only son? This kid is much too small to beat up my boy," I heard Mr. Ackley scoff. At that moment, Reese got up and left the dining room, directly defying Nick. I stared at the door for a moment, trying to gather my swirling thoughts, and got up as well but stayed in the room and stood next to the door. I needed to know what was going on and what had happened exactly. I heard Noah get up as well and he came to stand beside me, taking my hand in his, as we listened in on the argument going on in the foyer.

"Max, what the hell did you think you were doing?" Antonio roared and I flinched at the fury in his voice. Beside me, Noah was doing his best to hide his reactions. If there was anything he hated most in the world, it was to see or hear his family fighting.

"No, dad, Max didn't do it," I heard Reese say, barely recognizing him as he dropped the Aussie accent I adored. He only called Antonio dad to keep up the family farce, but I knew that he had had a father, once upon a time, but he hadn't told me what had happened to him or his mother. He would tell me when he was ready and only if he wanted to. I wasn't going to ask him again, not when I had seen how pain it caused him to talk about his parents.

"Reese?" Antonio growled. Oh, god, Reese, what have you done? How did he even find out? God damn it, this is why I had wanted to tell him, so he wouldn't totally freak out and do something stupid, but it was too late. I just couldn't understand why Reese would risk so much just to give Mark a good thrashing. Why? "Apologize, now," I heard Antonio growl now.

"I'm sorry for beating up your son, Mr. Ackley, but I had good reasons. He has been beating my brother up and picking on my sister, harassing her. I warned him, but he would not back off. It will never happen again and I'd appreciate it if you would not press charges," I heard Reese say politely in his no-accent voice. A commotion ensued then and Antonio sent Max and Reese to the living room with Nick. I faintly heard Nick chewing Reese out and sometimes Max, but mostly Reese, since he was the oldest. The same way I knew I had gotten into more trouble than Max for keeping the bullying hidden from Antonio. The older Pack members were supposed to be the responsible ones, thus taking more blame than the younger ones.

I leaned up against the wall, closing my eyes and trying to rein in the emotions that were fighting to take over. They were going to be punished. I didn't need to know rocket science to know that. From what I could hear, Reese had done the beating and Max had just gone with him to show him who Mark was. I felt hot tears spring to my eyes and I didn't bother holding them back. One thing was knowing that you were loved and that the people around you were protective of you, but another was to see—or hear in this case—just how far they are willing to go for you. I had seen my father's and my brothers' anger at what had happened today and what I had lived through, but they had all reined it in along with their wolves. Why Reese hadn't, I have no idea, but now he was going to pay for it. Noah must have smelt my anxiety or seen my tears because he leaned over to me and hugged me fiercely. He was just always there when I need him. He was an extraordinary brother and I knew that I could, and would always be able to, count on him. He held me tight in his arms as we stood there listening and, eventually, we heard Antonio pay Mark's father off. Then my father went on a murderous rampage worthy of the Hulk.

"Boys," he bellowed and I could tell that he was now in the living room with them. I adjusted my position in Noah's arms so I could hear better, not that I wouldn't hear Antonio's rage from the other side of the house, but to hear what the guys said. "I am furious and so disappointed. Reese, how could you? You're the older Pack brother and you led your brother into a dangerous and harmful situation. When you are with him in public, he is your first priority. He was in a high stress level situation and he could have done anything. Not only did you break Pack Law, you almost broke a lot more by not looking after Max," Antonio roared and I whimpered into Noah's chest.

I heard Reese start to say something, but he spoke too softly for me to make it out and he was soon cut off by a furious growl. Antonio's, I believe.

"You can speak when I give you permission," Antonio growled now. Silent tears poured down my face as the severity of the situation hit me. Antonio was so angry and I knew he had every reason to be. "You broke Pack Law today, Reese, and you knew exactly what you were doing. You're forcing my hand and that means I need to call Jeremy. Do you understand what Pack Law says about Pack members who hurt humans, Reese, do you? My father would have taken you out back and killed you on the spot. This is serious," he bellowed and I couldn't hold back the whimper that escaped me. Fear erupted within me despite the fact that I knew they would not kill Reese, I think. Noah's arms tightened around me but they were no longer comforting. God damn it. This was all my fault. If only I had told Antonio that Max was being bullied from the very beginning, then Mark would have been taken care of and none of this would have happened.

"Yes, I do and I'm willing to take the punishment," I heard Reese say calmly, but his voice was so faint I'm not sure I heard right. His words brought more tears to my eyes, if that was even possible. God, did he really care so much about me that he was willing to take the punishment? Well, about me and Max, he was protective of both of us since he was older, but still.

"I thought you were the responsible one, Reese. The one we could count on to look after the boys and to always keep a cool head on your shoulders. I'm really disappointed," I heard Nick say and I knew that his words would strike Reese down harder than Antonio's had. Nick was Reese mentor more than Antonio was and Reese respected him deeply. This was a painful blow for him and I knew it.

"Max, look at me," I heard Antonio growl. "Sweetheart," he said more softly after a few moments. Max must be so scared. Did he tell Reese? Why? He knew just how protective Reese could get. Hell, he'd attacked his own brother, there'd been no doubt that he'd go after Mark if he told him, I think. "Why are you so upset, are you afraid Jeremy will punish you too?" Antonio asked, his tone soft now. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from whimpering again. Oh, Max. I wished I could be there to comfort him and stand with him, to stand with them both.

I heard Max whimper a response but it was soft and his voice cracked, making his words indecipherable. Noah rubbed circles into my back, trying to calm me down, but it wouldn't work. This wasn't fair. This was all my fault, damn it. But why did they do this, even knowing the consequences? Death or a beating.

"I will tell Jeremy about your part in this, Max, but I will make sure he knows you were influenced by someone else," Antonio said now. "Everyone go to your rooms. Reese, go to the guest room until I figure out what's going to happen," Antonio said. I pulled back from Noah's embrace and flew out the door and up the stairs before anyone was even out of the living room.

I waited in Max's room and I felt like it took him forever to come up the stairs. Finally, he came in and I could see in his tear stained face that he was surprised to see me. He quickly shut the door and turned to look at me again, searching my face for my previous anger, I suppose, but he wouldn't find any. If he did, it would be anger towards myself and not him. I strode towards him and hugged him. I could smell fear and anxiety coming off of him in waves so I squeezed him harder. The best way to clam him down was with hugs. Well, it was the best way to calm me down as well so it's a good thing that he was hugging me back just as hard as I was hugging him. Tears threatened but for once I held them back. I think I'd probably shed more tears today than I had when I'd first watched _Titanic_ and right then Max was crying enough for the two of us. Besides, I doubt I'd be able to comfort him properly if I was crying like a lost boy. I felt his tears fall onto my shoulder and down my neck, so I rubbed circles into his back, making shushing noises, trying to calm him down. Worry and anxiety ran through me like a plague, but I tried to hold it back. Max's emotions were much too strong for me to handle it all right then.

"I'm really sorry, Kim," he whispered. I shook my head and pulled away from him so that I was looking into his eyes. He probably still thought that I was pissed at him. He could not be more mistaken, my poor little brother. I loved him so much and I'm not sure he realized it.

"Sweetheart, it's okay. I'm just really worried for you and Reese and I'm…I'm touched that you would both go to such lengths for me. I really do have an amazing family," I said gently, flood waters threatening again, but I forced them back. I had an amazing family that was willing to take a beating or worse for me it seemed. I knew Jeremy was a just Alpha, but for that very reason he would need to enforce the Law. What separated Pack werewolves from mutts was the fact that we respected humans and didn't hurt them just because we could. It was a serious offense to do so. I had hurt a human today, but in self defence and to protect the girl. Reese had gone seeking revenge. Would a beating suffice? God, I hoped so. I have no idea what I would do if it wasn't.

I could smell Max's fear coming off of him in tidal waves now so I led him to his bed before he collapsed in my arms. I sat him down on the bed and then opened the door to let the dogs in, who had been scratching for a while, but I'd ignored them. They bounded to Max, jumping on him playfully, not realizing that their owner—one of their owners—wasn't in a very playful mood.

"I need to see Reese," I said softly. Max nodded and started playing with the dogs, his mind clearly elsewhere. I leaned over to him, hugging him and kissing him on the cheek. "Or would you rather I stay?" I asked softly. I knew that there was nothing I could do or say that would make him feel any better, but if he wanted me to stay, I would. Max shook his head and gestured for me to leave. My poor brother. Only knowing what his punishment was would calm him—if it was a beating that is, though I was quite convinced that Max would be spared this punishment—so I just had to wait and hope that the dogs would distract him for now.

I exited Max's room, closing the door gently, and started making my way down the hall, following Reese's scent. It led to one of the many guest rooms I had never been in before. The house had many rooms that were unoccupied, but I knew that it was so because werewolf families were used to sharing the house with two or three generations. Antonio told me this when I let slip that I found it odd for Nick to still be living with his father. He also told me that he didn't expect me to move out. I'd had no idea on how to respond to that so I just cried. I was almost at the door when a voice from behind me made me jump three feet in the air.

"No, Kim," I heard Antonio say and I spun around to face him. He stood just a few feet from the staircase with a stern look in his eyes. Damn it, I had been so focused on getting to Reese that I hadn't even been listening to what was around me. Antonio gestured to my bedroom door and I grudgingly obeyed the insinuated order.

I walked into my room and was about to close the door when Antonio came in after me. Great, now a talking to. I really did not need this after a day like this. I heard the door close behind me and I turned to face Antonio. He studied me for a moment before speaking. "No one is to see him, Kim. He needs to think about what he has done in solitude," he said gently, but I could feel the authority in his voice.

"But I…," I started but quickly shut up as he raised his brow at me. I mentally kicked myself. It was not a good idea to argue with him, not today. I nodded stiffly and turned around, going into the bathroom and closing the door behind me without a backwards glance. Okay, so I was acting a little immature, but something about not letting me see Reese did not sit too well with my roaring wolf, who had not been calm at all since my encounter with Mark a few hours ago.

I took a very, very hot shower, letting the boiling water wash away my sky-high emotions as I un-tensed every muscle in my body before hopping out of the shower. Once I was dressed I tried to read my book—_The Courtesan and the Samurai_ by Lesley Downey—without success. I paced up and down in my room, trying to keep my emotions under control and not let my thoughts wander into unwanted territory, while I waited for someone to tell me what was going on.

As I started circling over to my dresser for the thousandth time I caught sight of the blank music sheets on it. Addison had encouraged me to write an original song now that I was going to audition for Julliard. Technically I was too late to apply but money can buy a lot of things. Addison had helped me do the pre-screening for both music and voice, but I still had to do the live audition at the beginning of next month. I still had no ideas for the song, but Addison said I had to write about something I knew and felt. Despite my fear and anxiety, what I felt above all else was love. Love for my family. And love for Reese.

Before I realized what I was doing I sat down and started writing. I had just finished the song and was reading it through, barely believing what I had just done, when a knock came at my door. I gave permission, as always, and in strode Antonio. He looked at me hesitantly, as if unsure of how I would receive him. To be honest, I didn't know how I should receive him. I loved him, he was my father, but this whole situation had me and my wolf on edge and I didn't feel like myself, despite the fact that only hours beforehand I had taken the first step towards true healing.

"I need you downstairs, sweetheart," he said softly. I nodded and got up, following him out of the room. As I turned towards the stairs, he grabbed my shoulder gently and said, "I'm sorry for not letting you see Reese, princess, but you have to understand that what he did was wrong and he didn't deserve your company while he thought about his actions." I just nodded, not really registering his words as my anxiety soared, and took off down the stairs.

I walked into the living room to find Noah, Nick and Reese already there. My gut clenched upon seeing the scene and the tension in my body intensified tenfold at the thought of what they were going to do to Reese and Max. I knew that I wasn't going to like their punishment, especially Reese's, no matter what it was. Death or a beating. Jeremy had made sure I understood all the Pack Laws from the moment I started training, so I knew what kind of punishment Reese's actions warranted. Please just let it be a beating, please. I wanted to sit next to Reese on the couch, but Nick motioned for me to sit on the chair next to Noah and I reluctantly obeyed.

We sat in silence and I couldn't help but fidget the entire time. I glanced at everything inanimate in the room and my hands were shaking. Noah laid a hand over mine, rubbing gently, trying to soothe me. It worked a little. I caught Reese's eye once, but it was so full of silent determination that I had to look away. My wolf prowled within me, ready to jump in should someone try to hurt Reese. Minutes later—though it seemed like hours to me—Antonio came in, followed closely by Max who sat down next to Reese. Antonio took up a seat beside Nick, so they were both facing us all. God, it looked like we were in a freaking court room.

"We're having a family meeting about a very serious situation, guys," Antonio began while I kept my eyes fixed on him, not daring to look at my siblings. "Pack Law states we do not hurt humans, no matter what they have done to us. It's a very serious crime and all Pack members caught doing it or aiding in it will be treated severally," Antonio said harshly. I started trembling again and Noah set a hand on my knee now, trying to calm me down, but it wouldn't work. Fear pumped through my veins as I waited for the verdict. Though my wolf understood and accepted what was happening peacefully, a part of me couldn't. I had been raised in the human world, not in the Pack or as a werewolf, after all.

"Please, don't punish Max, Antonio. He had nothing to do with this," Reese begged but a growl from Nick shut him up. Oh my God, he was trying to take all the blame. Reese, you're amazing.

"I have spoken to the Alpha and he understands that Max was influenced by someone he trusts and is not entirely at fault. Son, look at me," Antonio said. I chanced a glance at Max to find him staring fixedly at the floor. I could see his lip trembling slightly from the fear, but he eventually looked up. "Max, you are going to be grounded for two months with no exceptions and no privileges such as talking or texting. You go to school, come home and do nothing else. You will be given extra chores and lines as well. You need to understand how serious this is," Antonio said and Max nodded, looking at the floor again. It looked like he was studying the patterns on the rug at his feet and I knew this was an old habit of his past that he used to calm down. I felt some of the tension leave my body, but it came back within seconds the size of Mount Everest. What about Reese?

"Reese, Pack Law states that the Pack offender will be beaten by the Pack beta as a lesson and Jeremy is enforcing this Law," Antonio informed Reese, staring him down. I was mildly aware of someone gasping, but the blood was pounding too loudly in my ears for me to recognize who it was.

"No," I whimpered as my wolf growled viciously within me, but Antonio just held up a hand and growled softly. He was so furious. Noah's hand tightened on my knee, in warning, but I couldn't control the fear running through my veins. I had expected this punishment, I really had, but my wolf was storming within me and fear and anger were warring for control.

"Pack Law is Pack Law, guys. We are a family and we live like one but we are different and we can't forget that. The Pack comes first and all of you will keep that in mind from now on. I'm sorry, Reese, but you deserve your punishment," Antonio said. I turned to look at Reese and saw determination win over his other warring emotions as he nodded. "Jeremy and Clay will be here tomorrow to administer the punishment and talk to you both. Jeremy will watch and step in if it is too much or too little and provide medical attention. I want this to be a lesson to everyone," he said now, "Nick and I never want to see you breaking Pack laws again because if any of you do, any of you, you will not be welcome in this house anymore. Do I make myself crystal clear?" he asked sternly, staring us all down.

"Yes, sir," we all said. Antonio looked to all of us in turn, seeking our submission, and continued speaking once he had it.

"Tomorrow, Noah, Kim and Max, Nick and I will take you to witness. I want this to be a lesson clearly implanted in your mind so no one ever does it again," he said. "Now, all of you go to bed. Reese, you're sleeping in the house tonight. Think about this and what happened. The rules are simple for this kind of punishment. You will stand still and take every hit without fighting back, understood?" he asked and Reese nodded. He was making us watch? No. I don't think I can. I _know_ I can't watch.

Noah got up beside me suddenly, grabbing my arm and pulling me up with him. I nodded, thanking him for his help, since I doubted I would have been able to get off the chair on my own, my knees felt like they would give way at any moment. I let him lead me through the house and up the stairs as I desperately tried to rein in my anxiety. Noah held me tight as we followed the others, probably fearing I was about to collapse. He wasn't far off. He dropped me off at my door and I ran inside, closing the door behind me. I lied on my bed, shedding the tears I had somehow managed to hold back downstairs. Thankfully, Reese was staying in the house tonight, so I just had to wait for Antonio to come up and talk to me like I knew he would, before sneaking over to his room.

I heard Antonio come up about half an hour later and go to Max's room. I heard them murmuring but I didn't even try to eavesdrop. Their conversation was their own, whatever they talked about. When he finished with Max, I heard Antonio make his way to my room. He knocked and once again I gave him permission to come in. I had noticed that with the boys, he sometimes knocked only as a warning that he was coming in. With me, however, he always waited for my permission to come in, as did everyone else, despite the fact that they had all seen enough of my naked body to last them a lifetime.

"Sweetheart," he said as he sat on the bed beside me. I sat up, pulling my knees up, so I could look at him while he spoke. "Do you understand why Reese is being punished?" he asked. I nodded. Though this punishment would be considered extreme for humans, it wasn't for werewolves and my wolf understood that. When Jeremy told me all about the Pack Law and the punishments for breaking it, I took it all in because of the wolf. Without her I doubted I would have accepted half the things that were told to me during my training.

"Yes, I do, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," I said, speaking my mind, as I wiped away the last remnants of my tears. Antonio just nodded, accepting this. From the very beginning he'd encouraged me to speak up so he wasn't likely to tell me to stop now.

"I know, princess," he said and paused for a moment while I stared down at my bed cover. "Are you angry with me?" he asked softly. I looked up at him surprised.

"Of course not. This isn't your fault. I understand how and why this happened. I just wish that I'd taken care of Mark when I had the chance and told you what was happening," I whispered. Antonio sighed and leaned over to me, pulling me towards him. He kissed my hair as his arms wrapped around me.

"This isn't your fault, sweetheart. Everything that is happening now is purely Reese's own fault. He knew what he was doing when he set out to hurt Mark and he knew exactly what the repercussions would be. This is his fault, not yours, understand?" he asked firmly, pulling away and lifting my chin so I could look into his eyes. I nodded, not entirely agreeing with him, but I just needed him to be gone so I could go to Reese. I let Antonio tuck me into bed and then watched him as he left, sending me an 'I love you' from the door. I listened as he went to Noah's room now and spoke to him. He came out minutes later and made his way to the stairs, going back down.

I got out of bed as quietly as I could and went to the door. I opened it slowly, walked out and closed it again. I paused to make sure no one had heard and wasn't coming out of their rooms or up the stairs. Antonio hadn't said we couldn't go see Reese, but somehow I don't think it was allowed and that it had slipped his mind to forbid it. He'd find out later, though, when he smelt my scent leading to the guest room, but it would still be a while. I tiptoed down the hallway, following Reese's scent which led to the room he had been in before and the one I knew had been his before he moved to the guest house.

As I passed Max's door I could hear him crying softly from within. I stopped in my tracks, thinking fast. Damn it, Max or Reese? I stared at Max's door and sent a silent apology to him. I'd comforted him before and I think Reese needed me more than my brother did in that moment, I hope. I had way too many brothers to comfort, I thought as I heard soft whimpers coming from Noah's room. Don't worry, Noah, there'll be comfort for you as well. As I neared the guest room I saw that the light was off, but I didn't care, and opened the door softly, slid inside and closed it behind me.

Reese was lying on the bed shirtless with his pants still on, as if he couldn't bother to finish undressing, and was staring at the canopy of the bed. I stood motionless just inside the room, staring at the man on the bed. No one would be able to tell that he had beaten the crap out of a human just hours beforehand. But I could. I could see it in his eyes that now had an unnatural hardness they didn't normally have. He didn't seem to have noticed that I'd come into the room, he was completely lost in his thoughts. Thinking about his punishment or his actions?

I started moving towards him and he finally looked up, meeting my eyes instantly. He stared at me surprised. As soon as he looked up, I quickened my pace. He sat up on the bed and watched me approach, worry clouding his eyes. He probably thought I was angry with him. If so, how wrong he was. I reached the bed and heard him whisper my name as I flung myself at him and hugged him with all my force. He hesitated for a split second before returning the embrace multiplied by three in strength. He pulled me to him and onto the bed, shifting me into a position so I was straddling his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist immediately and nuzzled my neck. I shivered as his lips touched my skin and my heart started tripping over itself. I didn't even bother to try to calm it down; I had better things to do.

"You shouldn't have done it," I whispered, shuddering again as his breath caressed the sensitive skin on my neck. As I waited for his reply, I could hear his heart thumping loudly as if competing with mine.

"I had to do it. Guys like Mark need to be taught a lesson," he whispered back. "My only regret is having got Max involved. He could have gotten hurt and then he might have regressed and then…" He sighed softly and I pulled away, staring into his deep blue gaze that made my heart stop for a second before starting up again. At the look of confusion on my face, he said, "Over a year ago, Antonio told me that if Max didn't get better he would become a liability to the Pack. If that happened, they would have to consider removing him."

I stared at him horrified. Antonio would never allow that, would he? I then remembered what he had said downstairs. "The Pack comes first". Elena had told me that Antonio's father had had every intention of eliminating Clay when he was saved by Jeremy, but, thankfully, Jeremy had been able to domesticate him and integrate him into the Pack. Clay had been a bitten child, his Changes uncontrollable and his social skills non existent. He had been a threat to the Pack. Was Max really a threat? Not yet, but if he didn't get better…if stayed like this, unable to control himself in public, unable to rein in his emotions… I gulped, now understanding what Reese was talking about. These were paramount aspects for a Pack werewolf to have and if Max didn't…couldn't… It still seemed extreme to me. I had grown up in the human world, but the wolf accepted this new piece of information as true. In a wolf pack in the wild, the weak and the sick are quickly killed because they were liabilities that they cannot afford, not in the wild.

I leaned back into Reese again and he laid his head against my shoulder again, nuzzling my neck once more. I breathed in deeply, letting his scent intoxicate me and soothe me. My fear seemed very melodramatic right then. I knew Clay would not permanently hurt Reese, but that didn't mean I wanted Reese hurt. My feelings for him were… Well, undeniable.

"There's something else," Reese said softly against my neck. "There's another reason why I went after Mark." I closed my eyes as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him a little closer, completely ignoring the human's cries for reason.

"Tell me," I whispered. Reese shifted against me and his grip on me tightened as he took in a deep breath.

"Not only was I furious that he had touched you and could have hurt you, but there was also a more…personal reason," he whispered, but I could hear the pain in his voice and smell his anger and anxiety washing over me. I waited patiently as he took a moment, then two moments and several more before he told me. "My mother was raped." I froze in his arms before I could stop myself, but he didn't seem to notice and just ploughed on.

He told me how his mother had been coming home one night after a party in the bush with some guy. They had an argument and the guy left her on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. She had to walk the rest of the way back to civilization, but three mutts found her first. I shivered at his words, but he kept talking, like he couldn't stop. After the mutts had had their fill they decided to hunt her. Luckily his mum was smarter than the mutts, so while they Changed, she grabbed the keys from one of the mutts' clothes and drove off in their truck, but not before seeing three wolves chasing after her. Nine months later Reese was born.

I stayed completely still during and after his narration, taking in his emotions from both his voice and scent. I remained silent since I had no idea of what to say. Reese hadn't really spoken about his parents before, just a "my mum used to do this and that" and "my dad took me here and there" and such, but now he'd dropped a bomb in my lap and I had no idea what to do with it.

"I'm sorry," I finally whispered. Stupid thing to say really, but my mind was totally blank. Reese, who was still nuzzling my neck and hadn't moved for the entire time that he was speaking, nodded into my shoulder.

"I have my hang-ups," he confessed to my neck. "Especially when it comes to sex. I…I always let the girl take the lead, just in case." I pulled him closer at his words without really meaning to. I couldn't think of any reason for him to be telling me this. He knew that sex was a touchy subject for me, but it seemed like he just wanted me to know, to know _him_. Well, I wanted him to know me too.

"I was bullied," I said suddenly, without really thinking through what I was about to do, but I didn't care. If there was someone I wanted to share this with, it was Reese. My father knew, but I needed Reese to know too. Why? I have no idea. "And in my senior year my grandma died and I…I almost ended it."

Reese instantly tensed in my arms and pulled away at my words, his grip around my waist bordering painful, but I said nothing as I got caught in Reese's gaze. Fire, that's what I found in his eyes and it scared me. The wolf prowled viciously behind his deep blue eyes, waiting for battle and for permission to make heads roll. I leaned into him and nuzzled his neck this time. He pulled me tight against him and I could hear his heart thumping louder than before.

I took a deep, calming breath and told him. I told him everything, leaving nothing out. Everything I told Antonio I told Reese, even more. I told him about my most humiliating high school moments, when the cheerleaders would corner me and mock me in front of everyone. I divulged how everyone had treated me, like I was trash on two legs. How my class mates would make sure I was left partner-less for school assignments, school dances and, of course, prom. I confessed to him my deepest, darkest secret until that day. To my surprise, I shed no tears during my narration. I knew this was because of Reese, his scent and his presence as soothing as ever.

I pulled away from him and looked into his face to watch his reaction. He was furious. No, beyond furious. If his wolf had been prowling before, now it was at the forefront in full view. Gently I pushed Reese's wolf back with my own. Slowly he retreated and Reese calmed down, though his anger pulsed between us. His protective streak was as strong today as it ever was, if not more.

"I'm sorry," he said, clearly trying to control his voice, but I could still see the wolf in his eyes. He brought a hand up my back and gently caressed my cheek. "I wish I had known you back then. I would never have let that happen to you." Water fell from my eyes before I could stop them, but Reese just brushed them away and I realized that it was his right hand, the one with the missing fingers.

I removed a hand from his neck and took his in mine, gently touching the remains of his fingers while keeping my eyes glued to his. He closed his eyes suddenly and leaned into my chest. My breath caught and I had to remember how to breathe and force myself to do it before he eventually moved away. When he opened his eyes, I saw that his wolf had completely retreated. I felt his other hand travel up my back and then caress my cheek as I held his maimed hand still.

"Let me tell you," he whispered, glancing slightly at his hand. I hesitated for a moment as I swam out of his two sea-blue oceans and found my voice.

"The real story?" I asked with a small smile which he returned. He then told me how and why he and Noah came to live with the Sorrentinos almost four years ago. This didn't seem like a painful subject because he kept his eyes glued to me while he talked instead of talking to my shoulder or neck.

I opened my mouth to say "I'm sorry", but he stopped me. He laid a finger over my lips like he'd done the first time we'd slept on the couch together and its effect was the same. I instantly shut up at his touch and just stared at him for a few minutes, or hours, or days.

"No more apologies," he said gently and removed his finger. I let out the air I hadn't even realized I'd been holding while he'd held me prisoner with a finger. Without another word, he wrapped his arms around my waist again and pulled us down so I was lying on top of him now.

I came to rest on his chest and relaxed my stiff body against his bare skin, inhaling deeply. I let my hand trail down his chest from his neck to just a few inches below my face where I knew he had a scar. I hate to admit that I'd practically memorized his body during our Changes. I still didn't let anyone touch me while we were naked, but I did allow some hand holding which Reese greatly exploited.

As I fingered the scar I wondered if I should ask where he'd gotten it from. He had more scars, but I couldn't pluck up the courage to ask after any of them. Even after everything we had just told each other. I honestly don't know how I felt about what had just happened. We'd both exchanged past tales that were touchy for both of us. We'd been close, always had been from the moment we met, but this shifted things. It allowed me to see so much more of him and made me realize that there were still a million things that I didn't know about him, no matter how much I already knew. Like why did he come to the States or what happened to his now dead parents?

"Dingo," he whispered suddenly. My hand instantly stopped tracing the scar and I pulled away to look down on him, my hair falling over his chest. He smiled and said, "It was a dingo. I was out running with dad one night when we encountered a dingo. I'd only started Changing a few months before so I still didn't know how to fight very well in wolf form. Dad tried to lead him away from me, but I was a little cocky. I tried to take the dingo myself, but… Well, I learned my lesson, that's for sure." He then brought a hand up to brush my hair back and caress my cheek again.

I closed my eyes and leaned back against his chest as his arms wrapped around my waist. As I breathed him in for the millionth time I realized that the wolf was purring. I was just so use to her doing it whenever I was so close to Reese. _Ours_, she purred. Suddenly, in the time that it takes for the heart to contract and expand, I realized what it was that I felt for Reese. It wasn't me, it was the wolf. It had been the wolf from the very beginning, I just hadn't seen it.

I remembered how she'd reacted the day after meeting Reese, pushing me to give him a hug when we said goodbye. Then how I'd sung for him because I'd _wanted_ to sing to him. Had I or had the wolf wanted to sing to him? Then the day Reese had talked with the blonde bimbo, she had been furious, claiming that Reese was ours. She was always ecstatic whenever he was around, purring and pushing me to do things I'd really rather not for fear of the repercussions. Oh. My. God. She'd mated me to him.

"Kim? Are you okay?" Reese asked gently and I realized that I was trembling. I nodded, hoping that he'd just drop it. That's why she was always so at peace with him and always jumping with excitement when we were so close. I vaguely remembered Elena telling me that it was possible for both the human and the wolf to choose a partner, but I hadn't really been paying attention. The thought of a "mate" had seemed so delusional at the time.

What did all this mean, though? That everything I felt for Reese was just the wolf? No, I decided. I may have never been in love but deep down I knew that this wasn't just the wolf's doing. That didn't mean I wasn't scared. Wolves mated for life, meaning that the wolf would accept no other partner. The thought of being nineteen and already having found my supposed wolf mate was making breathing extremely difficult. Abbey had always joked that she would be dating at least a hundred guys before choosing one, just to make sure she chose the best. Even if my wolf had mated me to Reese, would I be able to do that, to date other guys? Did I want to? Should I?

"You should go," Reese whispered suddenly, making me jump. I'd been so lost in my thoughts that I had totally forgotten where I was and why. Despite his words, Reese didn't make a move to let me go.

"No. I'm staying," I said a little more forcefully than I probably should have. I was just too stressed about my epiphany to think through the words that were flying from my mouth. I decided to push all thoughts of "mates" aside for now and focus on Reese. He still had a punishment to go through and I would be there with him every step of the way despite my feelings for him.

"If Antonio comes and finds you here—," he started but I cut him off.

"I don't care. I won't leave you alone. Not tonight," I whispered into his chest. "Besides, they will know I was here once they catch my scent coming here. It won't make a difference if I stay." He stiffened against me but then relaxed and adjusted our position, rolling us so we were lying side by side with his arms still encompassing me while I curled up into his bare chest. I have no idea how long it took me to fall asleep, but the last thing I remember is feeling a soft pressure against my lips or maybe I just dreamt that.

* * *

><p>"Kim," I heard Reese whisper into my ear, his breath sending shivers through me. I opened my eyes to find myself still embraced by him. I pulled back so I could look at him. He had a pained look in his eyes that sent waves of fear through me. He glanced behind me and I craned my neck to look. Antonio was standing in the doorway looking none too happy. Uh oh.<p>

"Kim, I'd like to speak with Reese alone, please," Antonio said firmly. Well, the 'please' meant that he wasn't angry. At least not much. I extracted myself from Reese and made my way out of the room without so much as a backwards glance. Once in my room I saw that my clock read eight thirty in the morning. So Antonio had let me spend the night with Reese. A rush of love ran from me to my father as I realized that he had probably gone against the rules by doing so. I just hoped that the Alpha didn't find out.

The wolf growled within me, not liking being separated from her mate, but I shut her up. I would deal with this later. I picked up the book from last night and tried to read with the same success as the night before. After an hour of only having read five pages I went into the shower. Once I was ready, I went downstairs to try and have breakfast but I only managed to eat a few mouthfuls of my toast before I abandoned all attempt at eating. My stomach felt like jelly and it did not feel like it would cooperate with food today.

Jeremy, Clay and Elena arrived early to administer Reese's punishment. I was glad in a way. I don't think my body could have taken the stress and anxiety any longer. We were all summoned outside and formed a circle around Reese and Clay. I started trembling as my anxiety soared at the sight of Reese standing before Clay. Clay had a neutral expression plastered on his face, but his eyes had a hard look to them, like the one Reese had had last night. He wasn't going to enjoy this any more than I was. I smelled Nick come stand beside me but I ignored him. I could only focus on Reese.

"You know the rules?" Elena asked from the other side of the circle and Reese nodded. "We're going easier on you because of your age and for your reasons for going after the human," she said and stole a quick glance my way as Reese nodded again. Then Clay began. He smashed his jaw with a punch and then kicked him in the stomach. The first tears sprang forward then, but I didn't care, I just let them fall. Nick laid a hand on my shoulder as if fearing I would interfere. I might have if I hadn't had such a good control over my wolf that was raging within me.

Clay continued to hit him, sending him to the ground repeatedly, but Reese would just get up and wait for more. I couldn't stop the whimpers that escaped from me every time Reese received an extremely strong blow. He tried to look at me a few times and tried to smile but only managed a painful grimace, which just sent more whimpers up my throat. How could he be trying to make me feel better when he was the one been pummelled? Sometime throughout the beating, Nick's grip on me tightened and I silently thanked him. His dominance was helping to keep my wolf in check. I couldn't take my eyes off the two men before me even as tears poured down my face while Clay continued to punch and kick Reese, who still looked as determined as he had looked before the beating had begun. He was so brave. God, I loved him.

"Enough," Jeremy finally said, after what had felt like an eternity later. Reese was on the ground, holding his stomach, with his eyes closed. I just wanted to run to him, but this wasn't over yet and Nick's death grip wasn't letting me go anywhere anytime soon. Jeremy walked over to Reese and crouched beside him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Your punishment has been carried out, Reese Williams. Am I still your Alpha?" Jeremy asked. I stiffened as I watched Reese bare his neck to Jeremy, entirely submitting to him in a way that meant that he put his life in Jeremy's hands, giving him the chance to take his life right there and then if he wanted to. Jeremy nodded satisfied and then motioned for Nick, who gave my shoulder one last squeeze before going over to Reese and lifting him off the ground.

I stood where Nick had left me, shock gluing me to the ground as I watched Nick carrying Reese towards the house. I felt arms go around me and then Antonio's scent reached me. I turned and leaned into his chest, falling into his embrace as sobs invaded my body.

"It's okay, princess," I heard him say as I heard everyone else make their way back inside. He held me tight in his arms, rubbing circles into my back, until I finally relaxed. I needed to go see him. I needed to know that he was okay. Not because I didn't trust Jeremy to heal him, but I just needed to see it for myself. The wolf would not settle until she saw her mate. "You can't see him, sweetheart. Not yet," Antonio said softly, as if he had read my mind. I whimpered softly. "He needs to be alone for a day to reflect on what he has done and then you can see him, okay?" he said, pulling away from me and grabbing my chin softly so I was looking him in the eyes. I nodded with his hand still holding my chin and knew that he would be keeping an eye on me in case I tried to sneak out to see him again.

Antonio led me back into the house and took me straight into the kitchen, telling me I had to eat and I knew why. Control. My stress levels were already affecting me, so I would need to Change soon, if not today. If I didn't eat properly, my control on the Change would slip and I couldn't let that happen. So I forced myself to eat, no matter how sick it made me. When I finished, I went up to my room to find Max waiting for me. I fell into his embrace and he guided me into the bed, where we stayed for a long time, just holding each other, both of us shedding tears.


	25. Ch 25 Need and Desire

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Unacceptable Part 2 to know exactly how Max reacts to the new situation at home. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath _and_ Werewolf Law 1.

**Need You Now – Lady Antebellum**

Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor  
>Reachin' for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore<br>And I wonder if I ever cross your mind  
>For me it happens all the time<p>

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now  
>Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now<br>And I don't know how I can do without  
>I just need you now<p>

Another shot of whiskey can't stop looking at the door  
>Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before<br>And I wonder if I ever cross your mind  
>For me it happens all the time<p>

It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now  
>Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now<br>And I don't know how I can do without  
>I just need you now<p>

Ch 25 Need and Desire

Antonio POV

I hated hearing my children cry but I knew that there was little I could do to soothe them right then. The past twelve hours had been difficult on all of us, especially Max and Kim. They were the two that I could hear shedding tears from Kim's room. Kim was both coping with the Pack's punishment on one of its members and the beating that her mate had taken. I knew she understood what had happened, but I knew it was still difficult for her to completely process. I clenched my fists, hating that it had all come to this.

"Relax, dad. Everything will be alright," Nick said as he laid a hand on my shoulder. I nodded to him as he sat beside me on the couch. Yes, I knew everything would be okay, it was the now I didn't like. I couldn't and wouldn't blame Reese, however. I knew for a fact that Clay had hurt a human to protect Elena when they'd first met and I also knew that I would have done the same thing if it had been my mate. No, I didn't blame him, but I wished we hadn't found out.

If there was a good side to the events of last night and this morning, it was that something had changed between Kim and Reese. I'm not sure how or why, but it had. I just hoped that this meant that they would finally get together. Reese's control was thinning—as one can tell from what he did last night—and Kim wasn't doing so well herself. Try as she may, my princess could not deny what she felt for Reese. Hopefully these events would settle the matter between them. Hopefully.

Kim POV

Eventually the tears stopped coming and all I could do was choke. Max hadn't finished, though, and was still sobbing uncontrollably into my chest. As I held him, the door opened behind me, but I didn't turn to see who it was. Noah's scent reached me as I watched him circle my bed and climb onto it from Max's side.

The sight of my older brother's tear stained face reminded me that I had forgotten about him last night. Damn it. I got so caught up with Reese that the thought of my brother had flown out the window. Well, never again. I took a hand off of Max and held it out to Noah. He smiled slightly and I pulled him to me as I sat up with Max still wrapped in my other arm. Somehow I ended up sitting in the middle of the bed with a brother in each of my arms, comforting them.

I breathed in deeply, inhaling their scents, and wished that Reese was here. No. I could not see Reese until I figured out what I was going to do. I could ignore my silly human feelings for him, but not this. I could not ignore my wolf. She was a part of me and if she had mated me to Reese, there was nothing I could do. What I had to decide now is if I was going to tell him or not. I really, really, _really_ didn't want to tell him but I knew this wasn't something I should keep hidden. I'd call Abbey and asked her what she thought later, though I'd have to humanize my feelings for her.

Sometime later our hunger became too strong for us to dismiss any longer, so I led my brothers downstairs for lunch. I walked into the kitchen with the intention of preparing a quick and easy meal, but the smell of my father's lasagne stopped me in my tracks. He was over by the oven, carefully extracting the third, extra large lasagne from its interior. Smart man knew how to cheer up a werewolf. As soon as he laid it on the counter, I went to him and hugged him tightly. He'd known I was in the room of course and he instantly returned my embrace, rubbing his cheek against the top of my head with a soft "I love you".

I knew that he hadn't liked the past day's events anymore than I had, but he was the authority here, the Alpha of the house, and I understood why everything had happened the way it did and that it wasn't his fault. Just like in the wild, the misbehaving pup had needed to be taught a lesson. The wolf understood and accepted. The human was still uncertain, though. Silently I stepped back after a moment and helped him take the food to the dining room where my hungry brothers awaited. Reese didn't join us for lunch because he couldn't. He was to be confined to his room until tomorrow and only Nick and Antonio could see him and that was just to take him his food.

After the meal we went on a run. Our anxiety had made our wolves tense and alert, forcing us to Change a day early. Max, Noah and I went with Antonio while Nick stayed behind to guard Reese. Not because he was likely to escape, but simply because he had to stay in the room to think. Once the run was over it was almost time for dinner. My brothers and I were shooed from the kitchen and I decided to put in some much needed practice. I hadn't gone to the academy today, Max and Noah hadn't gone to school and no one had gone to work. Addison called of course to check up on his mate. He was here just five minutes after hanging up on Max.

I let my hands stroll over the keyboard, letting them play whatever tune they wanted. I hadn't dared to look at the song I'd written yesterday. In fact I'd shoved it into my underwear drawer, hiding it as best I could so no one would see it. It just held too much emotion, too much feeling. In it anyone would see what I felt for Reese and how attached I felt to him. He felt like a part of me, my missing puzzle piece, the anchor that weighed me down, the yang to my yin, the screw that held it all in place. That's what it felt like, but I had no idea if he felt the same way. I doubted it but I would have to tell him. I couldn't live with him and not say anything, but how was I supposed to do it without sending him running in the other direction?

The moment I finished dinner I ran up to my room and locked myself in my walk-in wardrobe. This was not a conversation I wanted my family to overhear and for some reason my wardrobe was better sound-proofed than my room. I plucked down on one of the comfy armchairs Nick had put in here after having spent an hour watching me try on a zillion outfits for a family outing we had last month and pulled out my phone.

"Hey," Abbey's cheery voice called down the line. I barely gave her time to ask me how I was doing before I spilled the beans. It took me over an hour to tell her everything. She asked me for all the details and I told her everything that had happened between Reese and me from the moment we met until last night, every single, little detail, fuzzing them up a little when it came to the werewolf world. The only thing I changed was my finding out last night that "I'm mated to him" to "I'm in love with him." Well, at least I thought I was.

"Okay, so let me get this straight," she said and I imagined her pinching her nose as she sat in her overstuffed armchair in her bedroom. "From day one this guy hasn't been able to keep his hands off of you; his eyes linger in places they shouldn't if all he felt for you were brotherly feelings; you _sleep_ with him; he spends almost every second of every day with you; he beat the shit out of the guy that tried to rape you; he told you intimate stories about himself; and somehow you have no idea what he feels for you?" she finished in a rhetorical fashion. Yeah, okay, when she put it like that, the conclusion seemed obvious, but it was hard to transmit the Pack bonds to her. Still, the fact that he slept with me was a bit odd.

"What am I supposed to do, Abbey? You know me. You know I just can't go up to him and… Oh god. Damn it, Abbey, he's my brother," I groaned as I pulled my legs up. I was starting to regret calling her. Reese was my brother, damn it, no matter how much I wished otherwise. How could my wolf do this to me?

"Na uh, he's not your brother per se, you just live together. He's technically your foster brother, right? No blood relation. So, I know it's harder for you to be more straightforward, sweetie, so let's try something different. You said that a guy at your academy was chasing you, right?"

"Right," I answered warily, not liking where this was going.

"Well, say yes to him and make sure Reese finds out. Better yet, see if you can take the guy home so Reese can see you guys together. Then you'll see just how much he's got it bad for you, hun, and you'll realize that what you feel for him is indeed love. The guy's obviously holding back for some reason, so you're just going to have to force him to make a move." I answered her with silence. I didn't totally dislike her idea, but it would mean hurting Alex. I would be using him and I knew that I would just end up hurting him.

Still, if this plan worked and Reese did indeed feel something for me, then what? He wasn't mated to me the way I was to him. I was sure that he would run as soon as he realized what my wolf had done. Even if he accepted it, it wouldn't be the same. My attachment to him would be superior over his to me. What kind of relationship would that give us? Somehow I doubted that it could end well but I could see no way out. I needed to tell him and failing that then I would just have to get a reaction from him.

I may have had a few boyfriends and made out with a lot more but I was never really good at all this, at least not when it came to me. I could always help Abbey out when it came to guys but I could never help myself. The guys were always the ones to make the first move on me, but even then I'd known better than to believe that they all truly _wanted_ me. As far as I knew I had never been wanted like that, I had never been desired that's why Alex's straightforwardness flustered me. Yet I couldn't help but wonder what he saw in me. We barely knew each other so maybe all he felt was physical attraction. But what if that's all Reese felt as well and that's why he was holding back? Either way, I had to know.

"Okay," I said, giving in, "what do you want me to do?"

* * *

><p>I woke up the next day to find myself in between Max and Noah. They had both slept with me last night because they'd still been a little upset about the past day's events, so I'd told them to stay with me. They had both been visibly relieved at my invitation. I glanced over at my clock to see that it was just past 7 A.M. Gently I woke my brothers and then started getting ready for the day.<p>

I dropped Max off at school and then headed over to the academy, mentally preparing myself for what I had to do. I was going to use Alex and I hated myself for it but I would make sure that he understood that I wanted nothing other than friendship. All I needed was for him to come home with me and for Reese to see.

My first class was a private piano lesson and then I had a private singing lesson with Addison and my teacher, so I didn't see Alex until show choir almost three hours later. Like I knew he would, he came over to me as soon as I walked into the classroom and asked me if I was okay since I hadn't come in yesterday.

"Yeah, just wasn't feeling well," I said with a small smile. Silence fell between us as I tried to think of the best way to do this without looking like an idiot, but I guess that was the least of my problems. "You want to grab that coffee later?" I asked, almost stumbling over my words. I had never asked a guy out before. Sad, I know. Alex looked taken aback for a moment, but then his face broke out into a huge grin.

"I'd love to," he said just as Addison strode in and came over to us. Alex left saying that we'd see each other later and Addison raised an eyebrow at me.

"Did he finally get a date out of you?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"No, I got a date out of him." I briefly wondered if Max had told Addison what he thought about me and Reese. If so, then Addison would definitely tell Max about Alex. I mentally sighed and just let it go. Max was going to find out sooner or later as was everyone else.

Two hours later found me in the Starbucks down the road with Alex. We lounged in the uncomfortable armchairs, sipping our drinks, as we talked about this and that. Yeah, I was grounded but I wasn't breaking the rules. I still had one more lesson later, so this was technically a break.

Alex was a sweet guy. I'm sure that if I hadn't met Reese I probably would have fallen for him. As things were, however, it was more than impossible. I felt like a bitch. I was going to use Alex for my benefit. I wasn't going to lead him on or anything, but still, it felt wrong. But I knew that if Abbey was wrong and Reese didn't feel anything for me, then I knew that Alex would be my only way out. So that kind of made me feel a bit better about my actions, but not by much.

We started heading back to the academy after about an hour of chatter and food. We were almost there when Alex pulled me to a stop. I looked at him quizzically, but he kept his gaze averted from mine as I watched his cheeks flush.

"Kim, look I…I really like you and I want to get to know you…" he trailed off and took a deep breath before ploughing on, looking me firmly in the eye. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner with me tonight." I hesitated for a moment. This is where I had to make things clear.

"I'd love to, Alex, but I can't." His face fell, so I hurried to clarify it. "It's not you. It's just that my ex hurt me and I'm not sure if I'm ready for another relationship. I'd like to keep getting to know you, though," I finished with a small smile which instantly lit up his face. Damn. Did that count as leading him on?

"I'd like that," he grinned. I flushed slightly. God, I never thought I could have this affect on guys. It was flustering to know that I made this guy nervous.

"Would you like to come over to practice that duet we have to do?" I asked as we started walking again. I glanced at him to see him beaming so I really didn't need his verbal "yes" to know what the answer was.

I knew that when I got home Reese would already be out of his room. I had no idea what I was going to say to him or do when he saw me with Alex, but I guess I'd take my cue from his reaction. Reese knew that Alex wanted more than just my friendship which was the point exactly. I was so focused on Reese's reaction that I forgot about everyone else's. Big mistake.

Reese POV

I fidgeted impatiently as I waited for the time to pass. I needed to see Kim. It had been over a day since I'd last seen her and my wolf was getting anxious. I needed to talk to her. I needed to tell her the truth. I should have told her the other night, but she had been too worried about me and I hadn't wanted to add anything else to her anxiety. I needed to tell her that I was mated to her. I could not wait any longer or things were bound to get out of hand. Well, they kind of already were but that's not the point.

I did not regret my actions, I do not regret going after Mark or beating the shit out of him. He deserved that and more for trying to touch my mate. It hadn't been a fair fight. I was a werewolf and he had been injured—thanks to my mate who I was very proud of—but I hadn't cared. All I had been able to think about when I saw him was him trying to take Kim and that had enraged the wolf. Yes, I also went after him because of my brother, but I doubt I would have reacted like that if he hadn't tried to get Kim. My mother's ordeal hadn't helped matters.

I hadn't wanted her to watch my punishment but I didn't try to convince Antonio otherwise. He was pissed as it was and I felt terrible for causing him the grief I knew he was in. He may not be my father but he was the closest thing I had here and would probably ever have. He was a good man. He had let Kim stay with me the other night despite the rules. If she hadn't been with me that night, I'm not sure what I would have done. Not leave, that's for sure. I did what I had to to protect my mate and I accepted the consequences. But I probably would have spent half the night anxiously pacing and the other half wishing I could be with Kim. But she had come to me. I still couldn't believe it. She had probably known the trouble she would be in if she was caught but she hadn't cared. She'd come and she'd stayed.

Things were different now and we both knew it. She had told me her deepest, darkest secret, I'm sure. When she told me why she almost did what she did, all I had wanted to do was jump in the car and go beat the crap out of the people that had hurt her, humiliated her and broken her. But I stayed for her. If her scent didn't have the soothing effect it did, I probably would have done just that. Her scent had also allowed me a decent night's sleep. Well, her scent and her presence. I hadn't been able to contain myself from giving her a light kiss. She'd been asleep, I think, so she doesn't know. The feel of her had been so intoxicating that it took all of my will power to not wake her up with one deep kiss.

I'd been confined to my old room for the past day, but now I was pacing agitatedly in the living room, waiting for Kim to come home. During my time in my room my only visitors had been Antonio and Nick and that was only to bring me my food. Only this morning, after everyone had already left, did Antonio come in to talk with me before letting me out. He'd told me how disappointed he was about what had happened and that he expected me to be a more responsible leader from now on. Yes, I was a leader of sorts for the younger generation. Kim would be as well as soon as we figured out where we stood.

As soon as Antonio had let me out of my old room, I'd gone to the guest house to shower and change. I was seriously considering moving back into the house, though. I rarely slept in the guest house anymore and when I did I would be angsty for the entire night, not liking one bit the thought of being so far away from Kim and just end up crawling into her bed while she was asleep. Of course, the more logical thing would be to move into Kim's room, but I doubt she would take that very well. First I'd tell her about my wolf mating me to her and then we would see where that took us.

I had no more doubts about what she felt for me. I had no idea if she was mated to me the way I was to her but I did know that she felt something, a very strong something, for me. I doubt she would have told me what she had otherwise. For some reason I had felt the need to tell her about my mum, I'd just needed her to know exactly why I'd gone after Mark. Then I'd needed her to know two of my life's stories. If I'd thought that she'd be disgusted by my losing my fingers, I would have been terribly wrong. She accepted me and I accepted her. I still had a thousand things to share with her but first I would focus on getting the truth out. She needed to know.

Antonio POV

"Hello, princess," I said as I answered the phone. I tried to keep the panic out of my voice as I spoke, though. Kim had never called while she was at the academy, so I couldn't imagine why she was doing so today. It didn't help matters that Turner had killed a girl not three nights ago in Philadelphia. Clay and Elena were unable to find him. I was supposed to inform the family, but two nights ago we'd all had another matter on our hands.

"Hey…dad," she said gently, hesitating slightly before the "dad". I wondered how it odd it must for her to be calling me dad when she had never called anyone that before. Still, it filled me with warmth at knowing that I now filled such an important role in her life. I realized that meant giving her a gentle push in the right direction every now and then, even in her love life. If she didn't accept Reese soon, I was going to have to take matters into my own hands. The cages downstairs were starting to look like a good idea. I'd have to put a mattress in there, though.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" I asked softly, standing and already moving towards the study door. My wolf rose within me, preparing for battle should that await us.

"Nothing. I just… Can I bring someone home today? We have to practice and since I'm grounded…," she trailed off and I stopped in my tracks. Bring someone home? Oh god, from the tone of her voice and her hesitance I could only imagine what kind of person was going to come.

"Is it a boy?" I tried to keep the anger out of my voice, I really did, but it was no use. I was very protective of my daughter and I honestly didn't care if the guy she was bringing was only coming here to practice. Reese would not like it one bit, either. I'd have to make sure he didn't rip any heads off. The guy was much too dominant and territorial at times, especially when it came to Kim. Thank god for my princess who could keep him and his wolf in check.

"Y-yes," she said. I mentally sighed. I told her to go ahead and bring him and reassured her that I would tell the boys. The relief in her voice told me this was something she had not been keen on doing herself. I hung up the phone and sat down on the couch just as Nick came. He sat beside me, catching onto my mood, and waited for me to speak. When my anger had passed and the wolf had calmed, I told my son what Kim was going to do.

Nick just sighed and shook his head, looking dismayed. "I'll go tell Reese," he said grimly. He looked up at me and frowned. I knew he could see my confusion at his reaction and the lingering anger at the boy Kim was bringing. "Dad, you know do know why she's doing this, don't you?" my son said with his trademark smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning at him. All I knew was that she was bringing a boy, another male, into my territory. And a human at that. I had nothing against humans but I did not like them on my territory.

"She's confused, dad. I'm willing to bet just about anything that she's only doing this to get Reese to do something. Kim's shy and insecure so she won't tell Reese what she feels. She's leaving it up to Reese." He smiled and with that my son left.

My oldest son was definitely better at catching onto things such as these. He understood people better than his own wolf sometimes. He was right and I knew it, though. I should have thought of this as well. Kim would never make the first move. She lacked too much confidence still to be able to do that. I admired her for how she was handling this but I just hoped it didn't back fire on her. Reese was already tense and having a human on his territory—both in our house and with Kim—would not sit well with him, not well at all.

Reese POV

I heard her car stroll down the driveway and then it parked in the garage as another unfamiliar motor parked in front of the house. I wanted to go to her immediately, but Nick had me confined to my room again. To say I reacted badly when he told me that Kim was bringing a guy home is an understatement. I was so furious that I almost Changed.

"Sorry, buddy," Nick said as he lounged at the desk which was closer to the door than the bed. I'm pretty sure I could have taken Nick if I wanted to get out but I wouldn't even try. I had already disappointed Nick enough to last me a lifetime. As much as I loved and needed Kim, I would wait until he thought I was ready to come out which would only be when he was certain that I wouldn't kill Alex the moment I saw him. With my wolf so close at hand still, it would be a while before I escaped my comfy cell. The moment I did I would make sure Kim knew exactly how I felt. I wasn't going to hold back, not anymore. The time for that was long over.

Kim POV

Nervously I walked into the house and was surprised when only Antonio came to greet me. I hid my dismay as best as possible but I knew Antonio wasn't fooled. He wouldn't say anything, though, not in front of Alex. Alex, polite and educated guy that he is, addressed my father with "sir" and "Mr." Good thing too because I could see Antonio's wolf closer than normal. I had expected this, though. This was his territory and I was bringing a stranger onto it.

Despite the fact that Alex was not my boyfriend and that we weren't dating at all, Antonio did a full on recon, though I doubt Alex noticed. The questions were easily hidden among the normal chitchat between strangers. As soon as I could I escaped and took Alex to the music room.

"Your dad's a little protective, I see," he said as I sat down at the piano bench. Ah, so he had noticed. He was a smart guy after all, smart enough to have avoided Antonio's gaze while they'd spoke. I just hoped that he was brave enough to withstand the other werewolves.

"Yeah, a bit," I said with a smile. That was technically a lie. He was way more than a bit protective. I looked over at Alex to see his gaze on my chest. When he saw that I'd caught him, he looked flustered, but I just flashed him a smile that would have made Nick proud. It had the desired effect and he came over to sit beside me. Now all I had to do was wait for Reese to come which I knew he would as soon as he heard I was here with someone. Manipulative bitch, I growled to myself. I would never forgive myself if I hurt Alex.

We started working on the duet we were doing in class, but thankfully it wasn't a love song. Before we started working on another duet that I had to sing in class with Addison, I went to the kitchen to grab some snacks and drinks. I was just about to take them back to the music room when Noah and Max walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, beautiful," Noah called as he came over for a hug. I smiled nervously as I embraced him. Damn it, I hadn't expected them to be home so soon. I'd wanted Antonio to at least talk to them before they smelt or saw Alex. "This for us?" he grinned, gesturing to the plate of snacks.

"Um, no, actually—" I was cut off as Alex strode in. As quick as lightning the tension in the air rose up ten notches. Max who was standing beside me and had been about to give me a hug froze instantly. He took a step towards Alex, putting himself between me and the stranger, as Noah moved closer to me. I mentally sighed. Damn werewolves and their territorial instinct. I moved away from my brothers before Max got too close to Alex and stood beside him.

"Noah, Max, this is Alex. Alex, these are my brothers Noah and Max," I said, letting the wolf show through my eyes and telling them to behave. Both of my brothers looked shocked as they took in my position beside Alex. It could be interpreted in a thousand different ways, but what I was making absolutely clear was that he was not to be touched, that he was under my protection. Noah recovered first and smiled, though I could easily see through it. Noah was a bad liar but that's just because he's such a good person. He strode forward and held out a hand to Alex, still smiling to hide his displeasure.

"Nice to meet you," Noah said. I smiled at him as Alex took his hand and shook it. At least I could always count on one of my brothers to be polite. Max, on the other hand, was not even trying to hide his dislike of the situation.

"Likewise," said Alex, letting go of Noah's hand and faced Max moving towards him, but Max just glowered at him, freezing him in place. Alex turned to Noah and then to me confused, and then looked back at Max. I tensed. Damn it, Max, please be good. "Hey," Alex said, trying to get through to him, decidedly ignoring Max's death glare. Max gave him a once-over and then turned to me.

"Does dad know _he's_ in the house?" Max asked sharply, putting a strong emphasis on 'he', completely ignoring Alex and piercing me with his glare. Noah flinched at his tone, but I didn't as much as blink. I had expected this, even if Antonio had spoken to him first, I had expected this. It was just Max being both territorial and protective. Not to mention the fact that he doesn't like strangers, least of all humans. I answered Max making sure that he got a good look at my wolf. Antonio has always told us never to back down from Max or he might regress, something I didn't want to see ever again.

"Yes, he does," I said firmly. Max didn't really seem to care and turned his glare back to Alex. He started fidgeting slightly under Max's glare and I was sure he was starting to see the predator behind his eyes. Noah looked like he was at a loss at what to do. He wasn't very dominant so he was looking over at me, awaiting instructions. Sometimes being more dominant than him and Max was good, I could comfort them and I would do everything in my power to protect them, but I was no leader.

"If my dad catches you here he's going to rip you to pieces," Max said suddenly with a very wolfish smile. Alex stared at Max for a moment before moving back towards me. Shit. I saw a gleam of triumph in Max's eyes as Alex back downed from him and saw the wolf lurking. That's it.

"Max, that's enough," I said fiercely, trying to channel the inner Alpha we all had. He gave me an all too familiar look, but I kept eye contact and let my wolf come out. Grudgingly he backed down from me. Dominant, indeed. "We'll be in the music room," I said to my brothers, giving Noah a look I knew he would understand. He nodded and I knew that he would not let Max out of his sight until Antonio or someone else showed up to calm him down. I grabbed the drinks and gestured to Alex to grab the plate and we were out of there.

"Sorry about that," I said once we were in the safety of the music room. "My brothers are about as protective as my dad." Alex just shrugged with a small smile playing at his lips.

"No worries. I don't have any siblings so I can't say I know how it feels." I grinned at him. I didn't know how it felt either until I came here. I distantly heard Max tell Noah something about Reese and dad, but I ignored him. Sometime later I heard a commotion ensue upstairs but I dismissed it. I wouldn't leave Alex alone in a house full of territorial werewolves. Unfortunately, though, there are some things he has to do alone.

I waited nervously in the music for Alex to come back from the bathroom. I really hoped he wasn't jumped by any of my brothers—though I'm sure Noah would not do anything. I started fidgeting as I started worrying about Reese. Where was he? I thought he would be home. If he wasn't then this was all for naught.

Suddenly I heard soft murmurs coming from the hallway and it sounded an awful lot like Max. Oh, shit. I ran out of the room and found Max glaring up at Alex who was pressed up against the wall.

"Max," I growled. He instantly stepped back and turned to face me with an innocent little brother look as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you doing?" I asked, giving him the benefit of the doubt, though I knew full well what he'd been doing. Max likes to terrorize annoying humans.

"Nada, sólo hablar," he said, telling me that he was doing nothing, just talking. I eyed him suspiciously, but he just shrugged and took off. I went back to the music room with Alex and asked him what had happened.

"Nothing, just chatting with your brother," he said mildly. I let it go, deciding to corner Max later. He'd tell me what had happened even if I had to go full on dominant on him which I did not like doing one bit.

It was late by the time we finished on the second duet and I was starting to get a little anxious at the fact that I had not seen nor heard neither Reese nor Nick during my time here. I followed Alex out to his Ducati and was about to say goodbye when he gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. I froze, my cheeks flushing as I stared at him. Oh damn. Guess I didn't do a good job on the whole not leading him on thing. I really hope no one was looking out the window, though. I gave Alex a small smile which he returned and then hopped onto his bike. I waited for him to take off before going back inside.

Silence greeted me and I could feel the dread building up in the pit of my stomach. Where is everyone? I followed Antonio's most recent scent trail to his study. I knocked and waited for him to admit me, but the door flew open and I found Max in front of me, looking completely pissed. He scowled at me before stalking past me and heading for the stairs. I mentally sighed and walked into the study, closing the door behind me.

"Princess," Antonio said as he stood from his desk and came over to me, embracing me. He held me for a moment before stepping back, holding onto my shoulders as he looked me directly in the eyes. "Are you dating that boy, Kim?" From his tone I knew that he knew that I was not dating him and that he did not like Alex anymore than Max did. Oh god, I hadn't even considered how Alex's presence would upset everyone.

"No, dad. He likes me, but I don't like him, at least not in that way. I'm sorry I brought him here," I said and he instantly pulled me to him. I wouldn't be bringing Alex back here anyway. Abbey's plan had included Reese seeing me with Alex, but I did not want to bring him back here, not when I saw how much it angered everyone and their wolves. Besides, I didn't want to hurt Alex any more than necessary. He was already getting his hopes up despite my warnings.

"It's okay, sweetheart, but just be careful, okay?" he said as I pulled away from him and smiled up at him as I filled with warmth at his concern in me. I gave him a quick hug before going to the kitchen where I found Noah. He smiled as I walked in and asked me about my day once I had started working beside him, preparing dinner. God, I love you, Noah. He was happy as long as you were happy and normally didn't like to interfere in other's people's lives. I really appreciated it in that moment, but I wanted him to start speaking up. After I had talked to Reese I'd make that one of my priorities.

Dinner came and dinner went with no sign of Nick or Reese. No longer able to hide my anxiety, I asked Antonio as we finished dinner, but it was Max who responded.

"Nick had to get him out of the house before he ripped the human's head off," Max said, looking as if he were disappointed. Damn it, now what? Was Reese pissed because he was being protective of his sister or was he being "territorial"? This doubt clouded my brain for the rest of the meal and as soon as it was over, I went up to my room.

I had a hot shower to calm myself down, but it didn't help at all. I just needed to see Reese. I hadn't realized until that moment how much noise my wolf was making. While I'd been with Alex I'd been singing and had been concentrated on my music, so it had been easier to ignore her and my need for Reese. But now the need had me trembling. I needed to see him, not only to make sure that Clay hadn't permanently hurt him, but just to see him, to touch him, to feel him. Abbey was right. Not only was I mated to Reese but I was also in love with him. I had never gone so long without seeing Reese and I knew that this reaction was anything but normal.

I stayed in bed for the rest of the evening only coming out to speak with Max, a conversation that did not end well at all. So I returned to my room successfully losing myself in my book, not even emerging from my room when it was time for supper. I just needed to distract myself from Reese. On the one hand, I wanted and needed to see him, but on the other hand, I didn't. I honestly didn't know how I was going to react when I saw him, but my need for him was scaring me and I mean really scaring me.

Was it normal for me to feel like this towards someone? Was this need, this desire, normal or even healthy? Damn it, I should have asked Abbey. She hadn't seemed at all worried that I was only nineteen and had already found my supposed mate. But I wasn't okay with it, not entirely at least. My mother had had me when she was twenty; my sister four years later by which time my father had already left her. I had never thought that my parents' failed relationship could have affected me so much, but it was. Not only was I scared of how Reese made me feel but I was also scared that even if something happened between us that it wouldn't last.

I knew that Max had found his mate when he was sixteen, but that was different. They were just so obviously meant to be together. Granted, they fought every now and then, but I guess that's just part of a real relationship. I can't say I know what that is since none of my relationships lasted more than a month or the guy started getting angsty about no sex. Still, Max finding his mate so young could mean that this was just a werewolf thing. Finding your mate early in life and then spending the rest of it mated. Somehow that thought did not make me feel any better.

After almost falling asleep with my book in my hands for the third time, I set my alarm clock for an hour earlier tomorrow morning. Until I figured out what I wanted I would have to avoid Reese. I was likely to jump him the moment I saw him and that would not be good. I needed to set my thoughts straight first before I faced him. Damn it. I should have left the whole Alex thing until later, but again I had been afraid of facing Reese with my new found feelings for him, the mating thing I mean. Thinking of Reese, I fell into a deep sleep.

Reese POV

"The blonde over there's checking you out," Nick said as he sipped his beer. I growled softly and sipped my own non-alcoholic drink since that would have only made me have less control over my wolf, though admittedly he was much calmer now despite the crowd.

Nick had brought me straight to the City after Max had gone to my room to inform me that Kim was with some guy named Alex that had a description which fitted the guy that was chasing my Kim. Unable to contain my anger, Nick and Antonio had had to force me out of the house before I killed the human. Now that I was more relaxed I could see that I had overreacted. Just a bit. I knew that if I'd claimed Kim or if I had known she was mine, then I would not have reacted so badly. As it was, though, my reaction can be forgiven.

"She's hot," Nick added, smirking. I sighed loudly. He just didn't get it. Of course I couldn't expect the guy that was used to getting laid by a different girl every weekend—and every couple of days—to understand. And think that just a few months ago that had been me. God, how stupid I'd been.

"Nick, you know that I don't want her or any other girl that isn't Kim," I growled lowly. That just made him grin widely.

"From the way Addison tells it, Kim feels the same way." I stared at him, confused. He just chuckled. "Did you know that this Alex has been chasing her for months now and that only today did she finally say yes? I wonder why," he finished sarcastically. My eyes went wide as I understood. Why didn't I see it sooner? Damn it, I'd waited too long. I wasn't sure if Kim had realized what I felt for her, but that would explain why she had said yes to Alex now and not earlier. She was baiting me, getting me to make my move. She was too unconfident and insecure to make the first move and she was leaving it up to me. Well, then that's exactly what I'll do.

It was almost midnight by the time we got home. I jumped out of the car as soon as Nick put it in park and ran inside, barely stopping to take my shoes and coat off. I was at her door in less than a heart beat—at least that's what it felt like—and was just about to go in when a hand took a hold of my shoulder. I spun around to face Antonio who had a stern look on his face.

"She's sleeping, Reese, and she has classes tomorrow, so don't wake her up," he said firmly, daring me to challenge him. I dropped my gaze and nodded. Damn it. I had no idea if I'd be able to wait until tomorrow. I bid Antonio goodnight and slipped into my mate's room.

I found her lying in the middle of her bed with a book beside her held firmly in one of her hands. Carefully I extracted the book—some romantic novel she was fond of—and set it on her bedside table. I slipped out of my shirt and then settled in next to her, wincing slightly at the ache in my side. Clay had done a lot of damage and some of it had already healed, but I still hurt in a lot. Her face was turned to me, though she was lying on her back, so I could see the rise and fall of her chest. Before I could stop myself I let a hand trail down from her neck all the way down to her hip, taking in all of her curves. I leaned down and gently kissed her neck, like I knew she liked it, my control already beginning to slip.

"Reese," she groaned softly. I froze with my lips still attached to her sensitive skin and waited. Seconds later I heard her slow breathing continue as if it hadn't been interrupted. So she was still sleeping. Knowing that she was either dreaming about me or related the kiss on her neck to me did indescribable things to my body. I pulled away from her as the need to force her awake with a kiss she wasn't likely to forget hit me.

I had to obey Antonio. I could not wake her, no matter how much I wanted to. Antonio had forgiven me for the Mark incident and my latest outburst and I did not want to give him another reason to be pissed at me so soon. I settled into the bed beside my mate, making sure that I wasn't in contact with her body, and allowed myself to bask in her silent presence. Tomorrow she was going to know exactly what I felt for her, what my wolf had done, how much I needed her and just how badly I desired her.

Kim POV

I groaned and rolled towards the edge of my bed as the sounds of Bon Jovi's _It's My Life_ filled my room, but I found that I was unable to move. I stopped moving, the music still playing in the background, and inhaled deeply. Reese. Oh, shit. So much for setting the alarm early. With my back to him as he held me from around the waist, I turned the alarm off and waited. Oh god, oh god, oh god. What do I do?

"Morning," I heard from behind me. I closed my eyes as I felt him move closer to me. His arms wrapped tighter against me as his body pressed against my back, my heart pumping a hundred miles per hour. I tried not to move as anxiety and uncertainty rose. Why was he here? Did he only want me as his sister or as his "mate"? Damn, damn, damn. I hadn't anticipated this and I had no idea what to say. "Kim, what's wrong? Kim?" his voice sounded about as anxious as I felt. Oh god, I can't take it anymore.

Without warning, I pulled his arm away from my body in one rough move and jumped off the bed, running for the bathroom and slamming the door behind me as soon as I was inside, locking it. I turned the shower on, shed my night gown and jumped in without waiting for it to warm up. Reese pounded on the door, telling me to open up or come out, that he needed to talk to me. I ignored him and eventually I heard Antonio take him away.

God, I was so afraid. He made me feel so good when I was with him. His scent and his presence calmed me like nothing else. I loved him. I was mated to him. I wanted him. I needed him. I desired him. All I wanted was him. He was my wolf mate. And I was nineteen. Could I really feel all of that, could I really have found the supposed love of my life and only be nineteen? What if he didn't want me, then what? Even if he did want me it wouldn't be the same. He would eventually leave me, like my father left my mother, like my grandfather had left my grandma. I knew that true love existed somewhere but it had never existed in my family. Even my uncle was divorced.

I tried to clear my head, but it was pointless. I eventually hopped out of the shower, got dressed, towel dried my hair and ran. I ran out of my room, ignoring Nick's call for me to wait a moment as I sprinted past the kitchen and into the garage. It's not that I didn't want to talk to him, but if I stopped, Reese would be by my side in less than a heartbeat and I couldn't see him. Not yet. Within seconds I was in my car and out of Sorrentino Estate. I stopped in town to grab breakfast and then sped all the way to the City.

Thankfully I had rehearsal today so I wouldn't be coming home until late. The academy had another show at the end of this month, but it was a special show. Only its Julliard applicants were to perform to win extra points for their applications or something like that. Addison was helping me of course. Still, rehearsal meant that I still had at least another nine hours before I faced Reese. I had nine hours to decide if I went through with everything.

Reese had said that he wanted to speak with me. I can only imagine that it was to tell me why Nick had been forced to get him out of the house. He had been beyond pissed and had been about to rip off Alex's head Max had said. But why had he been pissed? That was the question. Did I want to know the answer? Yes and no. I needed to know how he felt towards me, but then that left me with another question. Could I accept that my wolf had mated me without my realising it? Elena had mentioned the wolf mating meant a stronger relationship, more soulful I think she had said when I'd been training. Should I talk to her about this? No. This was something I needed to figure out on my own.

So many fears and uncertainties filled me that it felt like nine hours would not be enough to figure it all out. Would he run when I told him that my wolf had mated me to him? Would he accept it or would he push me away, forcing me to leave the house out of humiliation? Should he accept it and want me in return, could I be with him knowing that my wolf was mated to him and his wasn't to me? If so then how long could our relationship last? Was it worth it? Even if for some reason it all worked out, then I still had the big question. Could I accept and embrace what my wolf had done?

Despite all my doubts there was one thing that was clear. I needed him and I have no idea what would happen to me if I didn't have him. That thought alone scared me. Nine hours. I had nine hours to figure it all out, if I even could.


	26. Ch 26 The First Move

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Unacceptable Part 2 to know exactly how Max reacts to the new situation at home. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath _and_ Werewolf Law 1.

**Can't Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon**

I can't fight this feeling any longer  
>And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow<br>What started out as friendship has grown stronger  
>I only wish I had the strength to let it show<p>

I tell myself that I can't hold out forever  
>I said there is no reason for my fear<br>Cause I feel so secure when we're together  
>You give my life direction, you make everything so clear<p>

And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight  
>You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night<br>And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might

And I can't fight this feeling anymore  
>I've forgotten what I started fighting for<br>It's time to bring this ship into the shore,  
>And throw away the oars, forever<p>

'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore  
>I've forgotten what I started fighting for<br>And if I have to crawl upon the floor  
>Come crushing through your door<br>Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore

My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you  
>I've been running round in circles in my mind<br>And it always seems that I'm following you, girl  
>'Cause you take me to the places that alone I'd never find<p>

And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight  
>You're a candle in the wind on a cold, dark winter's night<br>And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might

And I can't fight this feeling anymore  
>I've forgotten what I started fighting for<br>It's time to bring this ship into the shore  
>And throw away the oars, forever<p>

'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore  
>I've forgotten what I started fighting for<br>And if I have to crawl upon the floor  
>Come crushing through your door<br>Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore

Ch 26 The First Move

To say that the day flew by quickly is an understatement. The hours seemed like seconds and my anxiety was building up about as fast as the day progressed. Thankfully my nervous state did not influence on my performance in my classes. My music was my emotional release, like my therapy, so if anything, I just performed better than normal. In no time at all it seemed I was at rehearsal with Addison.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked when we spotted Alex walking into the academy's theatre room with his friends. I shook my head and turned my back on Alex. Yesterday had been a mistake. He now thought that I felt something for him, especially after having let him kiss me on the cheek. I'd have to talk to him later and set him straight.

I headed backstage with Addison to change. Though he wasn't going to perform this month because this was a performance only for Julliard applicants, he was still going to help us out. I'm pretty sure Max had filled him in on what had happened yesterday at home but I didn't want to know. I had too many thoughts swirling in my mind right then to worry about that. More than half my time had flown by and I wasn't any closer to reaching my decision than I had been when I'd left home today. One thing was for sure, though. By the end of the day, one way or another, Reese was going to know how I felt about him. That thought alone was enough to send the butterflies flying. The old fear of being humiliated by rejection still imprinted in my mind.

Once we had changed into our outfits, we headed on stage. Another Julliard applicant and I had the great honour of opening up this month's performance with _Don't Stop Believing_ by Journey, the theme song for Glee. I loved Glee as did Addison. I was just able to see myself when I watched it. Of course the characters had much more confidence than I ever had in high school, but it kind of reminded me of the new me, the healing me. And this song held a message that I strongly believed in now.

Three hours later I had rehearsed all of my numbers innumerable times. The opening number, then I had one where I was playing the piano while some other Julliard applicant sang and I also had to play the guitar with a bunch of other people while we sang Eric Clapton's _Tears in Heaven_. There was still one more performance I wanted to try out for but that wasn't until Tuesday. I had no idea if I could get the solo but I was determined to get it. I needed to get it. If I could sing that song on stage, opening my heart out for everyone to see, then I knew that I was moving forward with my healing.

I changed back into my clothes and started heading out with the rest of the crowd. Lots of Julliard applicants. Way too many and much too talented to allow me any hope that I would be accepted which was why I had applied to Columbia just in case. I walked out of the academy's theatre where we always rehearsed and made my way down the hall, but I was called from behind. I turned around, almost bumping into a girl, to see Alex coming out of the theatre too. I waited for him to catch up and when he had, I turned back around to start heading out, but he held me back.

"Wait, I want to talk to you, please," he said desperately. I mentally sighed. Well, I may as well take care of this now. I nodded and followed him back down the hall, away from the idling groups of people that stood just outside the theatre room doors. He stood just a ways off, still in view of everyone but out of earshot, well, out of earshot as long as none of those people had werewolf hearing.

I waited for him to start speaking, none too patiently. I fidgeted, my hands tapping against my arm as I crossed them over my chest, glancing anxiously at the walls around us. No, I wasn't nervous about Alex or about what I had to tell him. It was the thought that in less than an hour I would be home and I would finally have to face Reese. Not knowing what was waiting for me had fear threatening at the doors, but I held it back. I had nothing to be afraid of, yet. Reese could easily just say no and not make a big deal out of it. But then what? Could I really just live in the same house as him, craving his touch in a way that he could not give me?

I forced myself out of those thoughts and focused on Alex who was nervously twirling his hands together. Okay, if he wasn't going to say anything, then I would.

"Look, Alex, about last night…," I trailed off, hating myself for having gotten his hopes up and now crushing them all in one blow. But before I could, he bombarded me.

"Kim, I know you said that all you wanted was my friendship and all, but I…I don't think I want that. I don't think that's enough. I…" Before I could so much as move or open my mouth to respond, he was on me, grabbing onto my waist as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Shock held me still for less than a second until reason kicked in and I pushed him back, with a little more force than I should have used. My wolf growled within me, pissed that someone other than my wolf mate had touched me.

"I think I made myself clear, Alex. If not, then here's a replay," I practically growled at him, my wolf strolling forward. I didn't care. His touch had just felt so wrong that I knew that I would never be able to be with anyone other than Reese. It wasn't his fault, he was an awesome guy and I knew that there could have been something between us if Reese didn't exist, so I knew I shouldn't be treating him like this, but my wolf was too close at hand for me to consider being nice to him. "I only want your friendship. Take it or leave it. I'm sorry," I added as I saw his face fall with despair and lighten with a little fear as he caught sight of the wolf in my eyes. With that I turned and headed back down the hall.

Damn, damn, damn it. What an idiot. Had I really led him that much on or had he just distorted everything that had happened and made it all into something that wasn't? Maybe both. Damn it. It had been a bad idea. I'd only ended up doing the one thing I had wanted to avoid. Hurting Alex. And worse yet, I hadn't managed to get a reaction from Reese, or maybe I had but I just hadn't seen it. I hadn't even looked at him this morning. All I knew was that he had been furious enough for Antonio and Nick to get him out of the house to protect Alex's head, but why? Because I was his sister or because he considered me something more?

I stopped in my tracks just before crossing the threshold, blocking the entryway momentarily. I stepped to the side to let the people behind me out and put my bag on the floor. I sank down beside it, kneeling while I pretended to rummage around inside of it, as if I were looking for something. Instead I was inhaling deeply. I wanted to believe that the scent I was picking up was just my thinking about him, but the fact that it was accompanied by Max's erased that thought. Besides, Reese's scent held the stink of anger, a lot of anger. It took me a moment to rein in the wolf who reacted instantly as I picked up Reese's rage. She was touchy when it came to her mate it seemed.

I breathed in again and almost didn't let the air out again. Oh, god, please tell me he didn't see Alex kiss me. The scents were recent and strong, despite the currents of people that had been trailing though here. Oh no, please no. I closed my eyes, abandoning my non-search, and clenched my fists. What were they even doing here? Now what was I going to do?

I quickly got up, picking up my bag, and walked out, following my brother and Reese's scents. No, I did not want to confront Reese. I wasn't anywhere near ready, but if he was as angry as he had been last night, then he might be angry enough to rip Alex's head off. If that was even why he was angry in the first place. If he only loved me as a sister, then it was quite logical for him to feel protective of me. I had smelled Max's anger as well, but it had been faint, very faint when compared to Reese's, almost non-existent. Weird, now that I thought about it. How is it that Max seems to have kept a clear head and Reese hadn't? Wasn't he the older and more responsible of the two? Then again, he had gone after Mark.

I tried not to mash up all of my incoherent thoughts as I followed the scents. The scents were strong and easy to follow all the way from the academy, meaning that they were about as recent as the one I had just left behind. They came to a stop just a few doors down from the academy in an empty parking spot that smelled like gasoline and metal.

I closed my eyes, still standing on the sidewalk, desperately trying not to break down. There could be a hundred reasons why Reese was pissed. Maybe someone had called him with bad news or something. Or maybe he'd argued with someone at the academy, or maybe… I sighed and took a deep breath. I needed to go home. Whether Reese was pissed because he had seen me with Alex was beside the point right now. I needed to face Reese and tell him what I felt, what my wolf had done and just how hard and fast I had fallen for him.

As much as I tried I could not keep my mind clear of all thought as I drove home. It seemed determined to remind me of all the boys I had ever dated—a grand total of three—and all the guys I had ever kissed. The three guys I had dated were before my senior year and my shameful moment. The first one was at the beginning of my freshman year. A guy from the music academy I had attended back then. Nate gave me my first kiss, but it wasn't what I had expected. I had expected romantic and breathtaking. All I got was a lot of tongue and saliva. The guy didn't last a month.

Half a year later came boyfriend number two. He was from another music academy and we met at a joint concert both our academies had done. Again it didn't last the month. Boyfriend number three reached the one month mark but a day later I said goodbye. He was from my academy just like Nate and that was the last time I tried to give dating a shot before deciding it wasn't for me.

I hadn't been head over heels for any of those guys but I had liked them well enough at that time. They had all seemed interested and they had all of course made the first move. Until they had made their move, I had been oblivious to their intentions behind their actions, like why they were talking to me and complimenting me and such. Even now I don't truly believe that they had really been interested in me, not for me at least. I'm sure all they had wanted was what my body could offer and had seen a slightly overweight girl and taken advantage of her lack of confidence. Maybe it's not true and they had really liked me, but I couldn't be sure. It was still hard for me to believe that someone had been or is interested in me.

In any case after boyfriend number three I gave up dating all together. I had known that I was never going to take any of those guys to bed, not when I had the confidence issues I had, especially regarding my body. Besides, there was always that little girl fantasy within me that just wanted her knight in shinning armour to come sweep her off her feet and save her from her family and her school. I had known that I would never be able to give myself away to someone that I didn't love and that I wouldn't be spending the rest of my life with them. Sex wasn't a game for me.

Still, all these thoughts clashed with my feelings about lifetime long relationships. Could someone really love me for that long? My mother's love life was a wreck until she met my stepfather and even then… Well, before he came along she had had a whole string of boyfriends, every one of them more idiotic and stupid than the one before them. I had once heard my mother telling her sister—who had not approved one bit with her love life any more than my grandma had, all of which had led to many fights within the family—that most of the guys she dated were just physical relationships. I was ten at the time but I had understood what she had meant. My mother hadn't really tried to hide when she'd had sex with her boyfriends.

None of that mattered, though. From the moment Alex kissed me I knew that there was not a chance in hell that I would ever be with anyone that wasn't Reese. My wolf wouldn't allow it. I wouldn't even be able to kiss anyone else, not that I wanted to. All I wanted was Reese, all I had ever wanted from the moment we met. And still all I could do was fear what would happen if he said yes or if he said no. Either way I was afraid. Afraid of our relationship not lasting forever because he would stop loving me or afraid of not being able to stay here once he had rejected me. I doubt I would be able to leave, though. I doubt I would be able to stand being away from him even if he didn't want me.

Fear engulfed me and tears threatened as I entered the garage and parked my car. It was time and whatever the outcome I would meet it. It's not like I had a choice anyway, unless I wanted to run and hide from Reese for the rest of my life. I got out of the car, swinging my bag onto my shoulder, and saw Max coming though the garage door. Oh, god, he looks pissed. My mind's wanderings on the way here had distracted me. Only now did I remember that Max had been with Reese at the academy and that he had been angry as well.

"Max," I said tentatively as I strode over to where he was standing, but his glare stopped me in my tracks.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he shouted. I flinched and took a step back. It had been a long time since Max had spoken to me like this and I had forgotten how much it hurt.

"What are you talking about?" I asked softly, trying and failing to ignore the smell of his anger and the wolf in his eyes. I called upon my wolf and let her peek out, but Max wasn't backing down. He was a man on a mission.

"What the fuck were you doing with that human, Kim? How the fuck could you let him touch you?" he yelled furiously. Oh, god, so they had seen.

"He caught me off guard, Max. I didn't let him touch me. I would never let him do that," I said gently. I wanted to scream as well but I knew better than to give in to my anger and fear. Fear of what Reese had thought and how he had reacted and anger at having let myself get into a situation like that. I was just so stupid.

"Please," he growled, "I know you went on a date with him. Addison told me. How could you? Reese is your fucking mate, Kim. Do you know how much you hurt him? Why are you being so selfish and stupid?" Tears formed at his shouted words and all I could do was stare at him. I knew I should say something, anything, but my mind was revolving around just one thought. I had hurt Reese.

"Max, that's enough," I suddenly heard and saw Reese emerging from the garage door. For a moment it felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I hadn't seen or looked at Reese since his beating. He had a black eye, his lower lip was still split and he had an ugly bruise on his jaw. Somehow I had managed to forget his injuries. I had put my worries and fears before his well-being. I was just so god damned selfish.

"I didn't mean to," I said, my voice almost cracking with the strain of keeping my tears in. Max didn't seem affected by my current state, however. Reese moved closer to him as if fearing he might jump the distance between us and attack. The look of anger in his eyes mixed with his wolf and a look of hurt almost made me whimper. My wolf growled furiously within me, though. We had hurt him.

"Yes, you did. You brought that human here, Kim. You endangered us. What if he had found out what we are? You betrayed the Pack and you don't even care," he screamed. No, I hadn't, I know I hadn't betrayed the Pack and I knew that Max was going way overboard. The anger that filled me at his words cleared up the tears that were threatening.

"Max," Reese growled before I could say anything, grabbing Max's arm with a furious look in his eyes. This was a very serious accusation and we all knew it. "That's enough, damn it," he growled furiously, turning it into an order Max completely ignored.

"Reese is your mate, Kim. You belong with him, not with some stupid human, why can't you see that?" Max screamed as Reese tried to pull him back. He thought that I was really into Alex. I took a deep breath and dropped the bomb that I had kept to myself to protect myself. This wasn't how I had planned to do it, but so many emotions swam through me—anger, hurt, anxiety, pain, guilt—that I was unable to reason anything out.

"I do, Max, I do see that. I…I love him and you know it," I said softly, so softly that I prayed that they hadn't heard me. They had. My words froze them in place and they both turned their heads to look at me, but I instantly dropped my gaze to the floor, bowing my head submissively in the process. I didn't want to see Reese's reaction, I didn't want to look into his eyes and find the rejection I was bound to get.

"Enough, all of you! Inside, now!" Tonio growled and I looked up to see him in the garage doorway pointing to the door behind him. Noah and Nick were just inside, neither of them looking very happy and I couldn't blame them. Without looking at the others, I made my way to door and went straight to the living room. The others following closely behind me. "Sit," Antonio ordered. I obeyed but sat far from Reese and Max, well, as far away as I could, though Reese sat down on the opposite side of the couch which wasn't far away enough. I was having a hard time stopping the tears from coming so even the slightest touch would bring me down right now. "I will not have you yelling at one another in this house, understand?" Antonio ordered with the Alpha voice we all had inside of us. When Antonio used it, it was the only time that I thought he was frightening. Otherwise I just thought of him as a very big teddy bear with a lot of muscle.

"Yes, sir," I said in unison with the guys. Even though long ago he'd told me not to call him 'sir', he was older and very pissed right now so this was the proper response. He looked over at me, seeking my submission, and I gave it within seconds, not wanting him to see the hurt in my eyes at the whole freaking situation. This was all my stupid fault. If only I had just spoken to Reese before deciding to bait him… But I knew that I wouldn't have been able to. I was just that insecure about myself, even now.

"Maximus Elias, now," I heard Antonio growl and I looked up to see that Max was not giving in. God damn it, why did he have to be so stubborn? After what felt like a lifetime, Max gave in and looked away. I saw Noah take a sharp intake of breath, like he'd been holding it for as long as Max hadn't been submissive. I knew how much he hated family fights, just about as much as I did, and there had been too many arguments in the last few days to be happy about. "Don't you ever dare make me wait that long again, Max, or there will be a lot more trouble than grounding," Antonio warned now. Max just nodded but I knew that wasn't enough for Antonio, at least, not right then. "Verbal," he ordered. Oh God, he was pissed.

"Yes, father," Max said calmly but there was no hiding the sarcasm in his voice. He was angry, very angry, or he would never have spoken to Antonio like that. Of course after what I had done I couldn't blame him for being angry. I'm so sorry, Max.

"Grounded five months," Antonio snapped and I knew he was serious. "Want to make it a year?" he asked as Max stared at him wide eyed. Max shook his head furiously, probably knowing he'd screwed up enough for one day.

Antonio turned so he was facing us all. "Now, as I'm sure all of you already know, though I'm going to repeat it so it's made perfectly clear, Kim had my permission to bring Alex here. What you don't know is that she felt terrible for doing so after seeing how badly everyone reacted," he said firmly, staring Max and Reese down. "Even if Kim were dating the human, it's her life and none of you have the right to yell at her for how she chooses to lead it. We've had a rough few days and I know everyone is still on edge, but I will not allow any disrespect or misbehaviour because of it. If I hear anyone else disrespecting someone in this household, then I will be handing out punishments like Christmas presents. Do I make myself crystal clear?" I answered like before and heard the others do the same but didn't look at him. I was too close to cracking to look into his beautiful brown eyes so filled with anger right now.

"I want to start hearing apologies for what people said and people's behaviour in the last twenty-four hours," he demanded but his tone had softened and that just made it worse. I looked over at Max and saw that he had no intention of opening his mouth. Stubborn as always. I guess it's up to me then.

"I'm sorry for bringing a stranger into the house without taking into account how much it would upset everyone considering everything that's happened lately," I said softly, looking anywhere but at my family. I stole a glance Max's way but he just looked away.

"I apologize for not talking about it with you sooner," I heard Reese say. I looked up at him beside me on the couch and saw hurt in his eyes. Talk about what? I wanted to ask but I stopped myself. I bit my lip and looked away, feeling the dread build up. Maybe he'd realized what my feelings were long ago and he hadn't wanted to hurt me by saying no. Now he had no choice but to tell me. Tears threatened as I thought this and it took me a moment to realize that silence had fallen throughout the room.

"Max, I am sure you have plenty to say here," I heard Antonio say but I was distracted as a warm hand crept over mine. I closed my eyes, not turning to look at him. His hand closed over mine and for one eternal moment his touch blocked everything out. Before I could stop myself I turned to look at him again. His pure blue eyes glowed with the wolf, the sight of them leaving me momentarily breathless until Antonio's voice broke through my daze.

"…you're up to one year now, Max, one year of being grounded," Antonio said, warning clearly flooding his voice. I turned away from Reese and withdrew my hand from his, folding both of them over my lap. I looked over at Max who had a furious look on his face and I wondered why he was now grounded for a year. Reese had made me lose myself for one breathtaking moment.

"Fine, I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I called you selfish and stupid and disrespected you and Reese. I'm sorry I pushed the issue when you told me not to." Max said but didn't look at either of us. Ever since we had started getting along, Max had discreetly—and not so discreetly—been pushing me towards Reese. He thought we belonged together, that we were mates, and had been pushing the issue at every turn he could. I didn't think that he should apologize for it, though.

"Now, everyone is to go to their rooms or respective private corners and cool down. Max, I want your phone. I'll give it back to you when I've turned off the data plan and you can only use it for emergency calls," Antonio said. I knew it was the worst punishment of all. He wouldn't be seeing or hearing from Addison in a while. If I managed to fix this, or even if I didn't, I would try to make him use my phone to talk with Addison. Max pulled out his phone and shot a glare my way. "Hey, eyes here," Antonio said, calling for his attention. "She has nothing to do with you losing this, Maximus. This is your fault."

Max said nothing as Antonio took his phone. Tonio then tried to pull him in for a hug, but he pushed him away and stalked towards the stairs. I heard his bedroom door slam shut and I knew I couldn't take it anymore. I got up without looking at anyone and walked as quickly as possible out of the room and up the stairs. I closed my door softly, locking it, and ran to my bed and cried. I had had way too many breakdowns lately but I just couldn't help it. The tears kept coming and I couldn't stop them.

My mind was a muddled mess and I couldn't find the way out. I had screwed up in so many ways and I was so afraid. I had hurt Reese, he had been hurt because he had gone after Mark because of me, Max was pissed because of Alex, Noah was probably upset because of so many fights, and Antonio was stressed from the events of the last few days as was Nick. And now Reese, my wolf mate, the only person that I could ever be with, was going to tell me that he didn't want me.

I shed tears like I never had before, my wolf whimpering and whining within me all the while. After what felt like hours, I heard a knock on the door but didn't answer, mostly because I couldn't not because I didn't want to. My breathing was coming hard after so much sobbing. Another knock, I still didn't answer.

"Sweetheart, please open the door," I heard Antonio say from the other side, but his voice just brought more tears to my eyes. "Princess, please," he pleaded and I gave in. I ran to the door, unlocked it and swung it open. I launched myself at Antonio and hugged him furiously, tears streaming down my face. I felt his arms go around me, pulling me closer to him as he kissed the top of my head. I was unable to control the violent sobs and shakes that assaulted me then.

He continued to hold me as I cried against him and after a while he picked me up and took me to the bed, closing the door behind him. He put me down softly and then climbed in, laying beside me as he held me to his chest like he had done so many times before, but I had never been like this. I couldn't contain the breakdown. It just kept coming. Sometime later, the tears stopped coming.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Antonio whispered above my head but I shook it against his chest.

"No. It's my fault," I whispered back, "I shouldn't have brought Alex here and I should have talked with Reese sooner and told him…" My voice cracked and I was unable to continue. I took a deep breath, inhaling Antonio's musky scent, letting it wash over me. It didn't calm me the way Reese's did but it helped.

"No, Kim. It is not your fault. Reese needs to learn to rein in his anger and Max needs to learn to respect you and your decisions," he said, kissing the top of my head again. I nodded against his chest as he started rubbing circles into my back. "I love you, princess," he said softly.

"I love you too… dad," I whispered. I felt his arms tighten around me as I called him dad. I wasn't sure how everyone would react when they found out what I was calling Antonio but I knew that Antonio himself liked it. I pulled back to look him in the eyes and saw the warmth that lit them whenever I called him dad. "Um, why is Max grounded for a year?" I asked, hoping that he wouldn't ask why I didn't know when I had been the room at the time.

Antonio sighed heavily and shook his head. "He refused to apologize and argued that he should be able to date Addison if you can go on a date with Alex," he said gently. I started to argue, but Antonio lifted a finger to my lips. "I know it wasn't a date, princess, but Max sees it that way."

"I have to go talk to him," I said as I leaned back into him for another hug. I needed to fix things with my little brother. I couldn't stand to be upset with him or knowing that he was upset with me. I felt Antonio kiss me on the forehead and I then pulled away.

"Go do what you have to do, princess," he said and I smiled at him. I went to jump off the bed, but he held my arm back gently. "Then you should go talk to Reese, sweetheart," he said and I turned to see him looking a little uncomfortable. "You two need to work things out." I nodded, though I couldn't understand his discomfort. Maybe it was the fact that he knew that his daughter was about to have her heart broken.

"Once everything's sorted, princess, I want you to come find me. There's something I need to talk to you about, but it can wait until everything's better, okay?" he said with a smile. I nodded and leaned over to him, kissing him on the cheek before jumping off the bed and sliding him one last smile from the door.

I knocked on Max's door and waited. He didn't answer. I knocked again just like Antonio had on my door. Still no answer. "Max, please, I want to talk with you," I pleaded. Maybe he was angrier with me than I had thought. I was about to leave when I heard movement from inside his room. Finally, I heard his footsteps come towards the door and it opened. My brother's hair was a mess and he looked like he might have done some crying of his own. He just stood there, glaring up angrily at me.

"What?" he said. I almost flinched at his tone but still felt the dagger his tone threw at me. He sighed and crossed his arms, looking as pissed as he had been outside. At that moment, I heard footsteps from down the hall and looked over to see Antonio coming out of my room. He sent a warning look towards Max and I saw that he was fighting to control his emotions. That sent a pang of pain through me, knowing that this was all my fault despite Antonio's words. Antonio walked over to his room and went in, closing the door softly behind him.

Max took off then and stalked back into his room. I hesitated slightly, not knowing if this was a good idea. Maybe I should let him calm down some more before I attempted to talk to him. No. I needed to make this right. I followed Max as he sat down on his bed, glaring at the floor as he furiously rubbed his eyes.

"Max," I started, but he looked up, glaring angrily at me. I felt another pang of hurt but I pushed it down. I needed to do this. No matter what, I had to fix this. He was my brother and I needed him. He was always there when I needed him and vice versa, but right then we needed each other. My determination must of shown because Max stood suddenly, ready for a confrontation.

"You are the reason I can't talk to Addison, Kim. You don't give a damn about Addison and me. I won't be able to talk to him for a year, I won't be able to even see him and he'll forget about me. He'll find someone else and I'll lose my best friend and my soul mate and you don't even care, Kim. You can go out with that fucking human all your want but he'll forget about me," he cried. His voice was trembling by the end and tears started forming in his eyes. But I wouldn't let them affect me. I would not be blamed for something I didn't do.

"You did that, Max. You defied Antonio and refused to give into him. If you had just done what he said you would not have been punished and I refuse to be blamed for your attitude and your disobedience," I growled. Why was he so god damned stubborn? He turned away from me at my words and collapsed onto the bed. I watched as he cried and the sobs assaulted him like they had me only moments before.

As I watched him, I saw that he was in pain. He was scared. He was afraid of losing the love of his life, his mate, forever, of never seeing him again, of never holding him again. I wouldn't let that happen, but I knew I didn't need to worry about it. I had never seen a couple more in love. Well, I had, Clay and Elena and Jeremy and Jaime, but they were meant to be together. Just like Max and Addison were meant to be together. They were mates, they were forever.

I sat down beside him and rubbed circles into his back, like Antonio had done to me before, trying to calm him. He leaned into me and I knew he needed this just like I had. I knew he needed to be comforted more than I did at times. I hadn't been accustomed to hugs and kisses in my family, but I had known them from my grandmother at least. Max hadn't even known they existed until he was rescued by the Pack. After a few minutes, he pulled away from me and rubbed his eyes. I didn't give him a chance for the anger to return and I flung myself at him and hugged him fiercely just like I'd done with Antonio. He hesitated slightly but returned the embrace full force.

"I'm so sorry," I said quickly. "I never meant to hurt you. I never went on a date with Alex. We just went to grab some coffee as friends, I promise. I don't like him like that. You know how I feel about Reese… You've always known," I said as I squeezed him against me.

"I'm sorry I said you were stupid and that you'd betrayed the Pack," Max said into my shoulder, but I shook my head and pulled back.

"You were right. I am stupid for bringing Alex here when I know how much you hate humans and strangers," I said, shaking my head at my stupidity. "I only brought him here because I wanted to see how Reese reacted. It was a stupid idea." Max stared at me, clearly not understanding my reasoning.

"Why didn't you tell me or just talk to him about it?" he asked. I bit my lip and looked away slightly. Max knew I lacked confidence but he had never seen it when it came to guys.

"Because I'm afraid of what he's going to say," I said truthfully. I was afraid. Yes or no, I was afraid of his answer. I took a deep breath and tried to push those thoughts aside for later, but Max wanted to have his say in the matter.

"Kim, he loves you. You're mates, you belong together. Everything's going to be okay," he said. I just shrugged and kept my eyes averted from his.

"We'll see," I said softly. Even if Reese and I did start something, I would still feel insecure about it, no matter how my wolf felt when it came to her mate. Max looked worried at me and suddenly surged forward, embracing me to comfort me. I hugged him back and said, "I love you, hun. You're my baby brother, you will always come first, so don't you forget it, okay?" I felt him nod into my shoulder

"I love you too, Kim," he said. I smiled and tears came forth again, but these were tears of joy. I had my brother back. Now I just had to figure out what to do about Reese. But there was still one more problem I had to solve before I went to him.

"Max, I want to help you with your Addison problem but I won't be blamed for it," I said. He nodded and I knew he now felt bad for blaming me in the first place. He could be stubborn but once he'd calmed down, he knew that what he'd done was wrong. Since it happened often, much too often I would say, he was very predictable. You just had to get to the calming down part without chopping his head off.

"I know, Kim, I'm sorry about that too. I was angry and I was the one in the wrong. It's not your fault that I am being punished but I really would like your help getting out of it or getting around it. I have to see Addison, I have to and dad doesn't understand," he said. I smiled inwardly. I knew what that felt like. He needed to see his mate the way I needed to see Reese, my wolf mate. I nodded and put a hand on his arm, letting him know that I was here now and that I would help him. The move was done more out of wolf instinct than my wanting to comfort him. It was just the wolf's need to help and protect those younger than her.

"I know he doesn't and I will try and help but I can't guarantee anything. Your best bet might be negotiating with Antonio right now," I said, but I knew it would be difficult and, from the way Max's shoulders slumped, so did he. "If he doesn't give in, then I'll let you use my phone to text him and I'll go over and explain it to him, so he won't forget about you. Not that he would, the guy's head over heels for you, Max," I said and grinned mischievously. I hated going behind Tonio's back, but for some reason he couldn't see that Max needed Addison. Max called it denial, I called it stubbornness—I could find way too much of it in this household. Max looked up at me, his eyes filled with hope.

"Do you really think he is?" he asked and I nodded. I couldn't help but smile. I loved making my brother happy, especially if it was with the truth.

"Oh, yeah, I doubt you could get rid of him even if you tried," I said, laying a hand on his now. He laughed and I felt his fear wash away. Suddenly, he leaned over and hugged me. I hugged him back, gathering the strength I needed for the task I had ahead of me.

"Come on," I said, pulling away and wiping the last few tears off his face. "You need to talk to Antonio." I stood, looking down at him, and offered him my hand, pulling him up. He was still smaller than me but he was growing at an alarming rate. I'm sure that pretty soon he would be towering over me like everyone else. Well, Noah didn't tower over me but he was still taller.

"So, we're good?" he asked. I nodded, letting go of his hand.

"Yes, we're good," I assured him, and made a mental promise to make sure he knew just how much he meant to me. I would never let this happen again. We walked from his room and stood in the hallway, looking at Antonio's door. I rubbed his arm encouragingly before turning in the opposite direction of Antonio's room and went into mine.

I went to the bathroom and jumped back from the mirror at the sight of myself. It looked like I had gone to hell and back again in the last hour. I sighed and tried to make myself look more presentable. My eyes were still puffy and red but there wasn't anything I could do about that. I pushed a brush threw my hair, before declaring myself decent. Reese had seen me a million and one times in the mornings so he had seen much worse, I was sure.

I walked from my room and into the hallway. I could here soft murmurs from Antonio's room as I passed it and prayed that everything was going well for Max. I made my way through the house and went outside through the back door and found Noah in the yard playing with the dogs. I walked over to him and hugged him the moment he got up. He hesitated slightly but then returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry," I said and he pulled back confused. "I'm sorry I put you through that. I know how much you hate family arguments." He shook his head and rolled his eyes at me.

"Don't, Kim. This wasn't your fault. Families argue all the time, but there's a difference between arguing and fighting. Besides," he said with a smile, "we're siblings. If we don't squabble, we'll go crazy." I smiled at my brother and gave him another hug. I pulled back from him eventually and told him that I'd see him later before turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" he asked as I took a few steps towards the woods.

"To talk to Reese," I said, turning to face him. I saw his lips twitch into a smile, but he quickly hid it with a nod and sat back down to play with the dogs. I studied him for a moment but then shook my head and made my way towards the guest house. You'd think that after so many months of living with men I'd finally understand how their minds function. Not a chance.

I reached the front door of the guest house and just stood there, staring at it. I couldn't do this. The nerves were practically chewing on my insides. How could I face him after all this? I had said that I loved him. I had never told a guy that I loved him, not in the way that I had meant it in the garage. I was in love with him and I was mated to him. I had to face him, though. This needed to be resolved before I lost my mind trying to figure out what to do.

I gathered my courage and knocked on the door. All my fears and doubts were yelling at me to get the hell away from here before Reese broke what was healed, but I stood my ground. After a few moments, the door opened and there he stood. The only man capable of turning my insides to jelly. He studied me for a moment as he held the door open, his pure blue gaze piercing me to the core. I held his gaze and my hands started to shake. I couldn't read his eyes but it seemed like he was trying to gauge my feelings just as I was doing the same. Suddenly he stepped aside to let me in. I walked inside without looking at him and went to stand by the sofa, using it as a crutch so my knees didn't buckle under me.

I heard Reese close the door and walk over to me but I kept my eyes fixed on the floor. Beautifully patterned white tiles that vanished from my field of vision as Reese stepped in front of me. He said nothing as he stood before me. I inhaled deeply, trying to think of what I had to say, but his scent was just making the wolf purr. Damn it, I had been so concentrated on getting here that I had forgotten to prepare what I had to say to him. Which was what exactly?

"Kim," he said suddenly, breaking the silence between us. I could smell a string of emotions coming from him that swirled with my own in a way that prevented me from differentiating whose was whose. "_Cariño_, look at me, please," he begged. I closed my eyes and bit my lip. This was it. He was going to tell me that he didn't want me, that he was sorry but he didn't feel that way towards me, that he just loved me as a sister.

I took a deep breath, ignoring my squirming insides and my trembling body, and looked up, opening my eyes to look into his sea blue pools. He held my gaze for a moment but long enough to speed up my breathing and to make my heart race. Suddenly I felt as his hands took a hold of my head and before I could figure out what was happening, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

For an entire heartbeat nothing happened and then it happened all at once. Electricity buzzed between us, making my body tingle all over as I fought to make sense of my swirling thoughts but then gave up and let him in. The air was sucked out of me instantly and I felt him gasp into our kiss. My mind turned to mush as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing against him as he pulled me closer, his own arms wrapped tightly around my waist now. Fire burned through my veins as I hungrily explored his mouth, but my hunger was nothing compared to Reese's who threatened to mesh us together.

Within seconds I was gasping for breath but I didn't pull away, I didn't want to. For a few blissful moments I lost myself in Reese's arms. I had never felt so free. I felt his arms travel down my body, exploring it as much as my mouth. I tangled a hand into his hair, pulling him closer and trying to deepen the already mile deep kiss. I felt him harden against me as he gently pushed me back and ground me against the couch, making us both moan and sending a shiver through me. For those few moments, reason was beyond me, my fear was beyond me and my doubts were beyond me. The smell of arousal clouded my brain and nothing could reach me beyond Reese's arms.

Without warning Reese pulled back just as I heard a war whoop sound from somewhere outside. In less than a second my mind stopped buzzing, the electricity stopped coursing through me and I was roughly brought back down to Earth, where Reese, my wolf mate, held me in his arms, pulling me against his body, his arousal pressed between us as I felt the wolf purr within me, whining for more.

"Max," I heard Reese growl and my eyes flew open. Everything instantly came crashing down on me, but it was too much for me to take in all at once. It was just too overwhelming. I pushed Reese back and pulled away from his firm grasp, practically flying to the door. I flung it open and ran past Max without looking at him.

"Kim," I heard Reese cry behind me but I didn't turn or slow down. I kept going, not stopping until I was in my room with the door locked behind me. My knees gave way then and I collapsed against the door. I sat there with my eyes closed as the shock shook through my body. My limbs were shaking and my breath was coming hard and fast while my heart threatened to jump out of my rib cage.

I pulled my legs up and sank my head into my knees, trying to calm down to no avail. I had been kissed before, obviously. Not just by my three boyfriends but also by a few guys I had met at bars in Europe. I did a lot of partying with Abbey during our trip and I had found that I was able to let go when I knew that strangers couldn't judge me when they didn't know me. Still, I had never been kissed like that before nor had a kiss ever left me tingling the way I was now. Every inch of my body was covered in goosebumps.

Reese's kiss had been all-consuming, possessive, hungry and just simply mind-blowing, leaving me thirsty for more. I took a deep breath and forced calm into my body. My insides were still burning. God, I had never been so aroused in my life. And Reese… Oh good god, Reese wanted me. That thought alone had my heart thumping again. I had felt and smelt his arousal. As far as I knew no one had wanted me like that and knowing that Reese did—or at least seemed to—had me shuddering.

I had my answer. The one thing I had been dreading and fearing for the past twenty-four hours, no, the last few months from the moment we met, though it had taken me a while to come to terms with my feelings. But now what? Reese wanted me now, but I was sure that that would change when I told him what my wolf had done. Still, I knew why I had kept my feelings hidden, but why had he? Was it because we were Pack, because we lived together, because we were brother and sister, though not blood related? Or maybe he didn't feel anything for me and had merely taken advantage of the female werewolf whose scent aroused almost every werewolf?

No, I thought furiously. Reese would never do that. I knew him well enough to know that he would never play me like that. Oh god, what was I going to do now? I wanted to know why he hadn't said anything until now and what it was exactly that he felt, but that would mean that I would have to tell him as well. And then what? If he accepted my wolf mating me to him, would we really be able to be like Max and Addison or would he give up on me half way there? I knew that Max's possessiveness of Addison wasn't the same as Addison's for Max because Addison wasn't a werewolf and was not "mated" to Max. Reese wasn't mated to me but he was a werewolf, so where would that lead us?

I lifted myself off the floor and went to my bed. I grabbed my phone and unlocked it as I lay down, lowering my head down to the pillows. I had ten missed calls from Abbey. Of course I did. She wanted to know how her marvellous plan had worked. But I needed to get her opinion on what to do about Reese, if I should give it a chance or not. I'd have to be careful, though, to not let slip that I was mated to Reese. Maybe I could say that I wasn't sure if he loved me the way I loved him or something. I quickly dialled her number, not bothering to go into my walk-in wardrobe. Reese wasn't a secret anymore.

"Kim," she squealed the moment she picked up. I had to pull the phone away form my ear before she hurt my eardrum which was very sensitive now that I was a werewolf.

"Hey," I said with a smile. Why is she so happy? Her plan was a train wreck at best.

"Guess what," she said now, still squealing. I rolled my eyes, my mood already lifting.

"You're finally engaged to Orlando Bloom?" I tried but I just heard her sigh.

"Nope, but soon. One day soon he will realize I am the love of his life," she laughed and then got back down to business. "Anyways, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I will no longer be able to help you with your love life via telephone. The good news is that I won't be able to because I'm coming down to fix it for you."

Silence, that's all that met Abbey's cheerful statements. It took me an entire minute to correctly process her words. Abbey was coming…here?

"Kim?" she called worriedly when I didn't answer.

"Um, yeah, yeah, I'm here. That's…just…really?" Okay, take two. "Sorry, you caught me by surprise. You're coming here? To New York?"

"Yes," she squealed excitedly. "I'll be staying with my aunt and uncle for two weeks so I'll be able to watch your performance at the end of the month."

"What about school?" I asked seriously. She knew where I stood when it came to her studies. School first.

"Um, Kim, I…I dropped out," she said softly. "Look, don't freak out, okay? I…I had a good reason for it and I promise I'll tell you everything when I get there, alright?" she asked anxiously. I took a moment to rein in my anger and then sighed. Damn it, whatever her reason for dropping out, I'm sure that I could have prevented it if I'd been there.

"Alright," I gave in. "When do you get here?"

"Tomorrow."


	27. Ch 27 Insecurities

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable. 

**Truly Madly Deeply – Savage Garden**

I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy  
>I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need<br>I'll love you more with every breath  
>Truly madly deeply do…<br>I will be strong, I will be faithful  
>'Cause I'm counting on<br>A new beginning, a reason for living, a deeper meaning yeah

I want to stand with you on a mountain  
>I want to bathe with you in the sea<br>I wanna lay like this forever  
>Until the sky falls down on me<p>

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky  
>I'll make a wish send it to heaven, and make you want to cry<br>The tears of joy for all the pleasure in the certainty  
>That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of<br>The highest powers, in lonely hours  
>The tears devour you<p>

I want to stand with you on a mountain  
>I want to bathe with you in the sea<br>I wanna lay like this forever  
>Until the sky falls down on me<p>

Oh, can you see it, baby?  
>You don't have to close your eyes, 'cause it's standing right before you<br>All that you need will surely come  
>I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy<br>I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need  
>I'll love you more with every breath<br>Truly madly deeply do…

I want to stand with you on a mountain  
>I want to bathe with you in the sea<br>I wanna lay like this forever  
>Until the sky falls down on me<p>

Ch 27 Insecurities

Reese POV

Everything was a mess. Okay, no, that's an understatement. It was all much worse than a mess. Kim had run. I kissed her and she ran. Damn it. I had mentally prepared myself to be able to face her and stay in control, but it had all been for naught. Her saying that she loved me had me dying to just take her but I knew that I had to talk to her first. I had actually intended to talk to her before even moving in for the kill but I had been unable to contain my impulses when I had her before me. Now all I could do was blame myself for the situation I now found myself in.

I had practically jumped her back at the guest house, but she had given in. And by god, did she give in. I had never been kissed the way she had kissed me. All her emotions had let loose and she fell into me hungrily, like a starving wolf stumbling upon a dead animal. Not a romantic thought at all but that's what it was like. Her body, her mouth, her arousal, her entire being had sucked me in and I had surrendered to her, the electricity streaming between us. Though there was no denying that I had been setting the pace, not something I was very used to.

I wasn't sure why she had run exactly, but I could think of a million reasons why. The most probable for me was that it had all been too much, I'd pushed much too far beyond the limits, but no, that couldn't be right. I hadn't forced her and she had let me kiss her possessively until Max interrupted us. My poor brother now felt terrible, but I'd forgiven him. If Kim hadn't run, we'd probably have ended up in bed and I knew that she wasn't anywhere near ready for that.

Whatever the reason for her running off, I needed to find out. Though if I thought about it, I could probably find something to do with her lack of confidence in all the mix but I'd find out soon enough. I'd have to work very hard to control myself before I got the words out. She needed to know what my wolf had done before I kissed her again, before I lost myself to her once more. I was beyond afraid that she would run when I told her what my wolf had done, but she had to know. I could not risk claiming her without her knowing what that would mean. It would bind her to me before the Pack, creating a bond much stronger than that of Clay and Elena because I was a born werewolf and Kim came from a long line of strong werewolves, or so we thought.

I started making my way towards the house, following her scent. I couldn't wait. This needed to be resolved now or I was sure to lose it. I'm sure Kim felt the same way.

Kim POV

I hung up the phone and dropped my head into my hands. Abbey's coming. My best friend, the person that had unknowingly prevented me from just ending it all, was coming here to New York. I'd wanted to see her for a while now and it wasn't that I didn't want her to come, but everything was such a mess.

Still, I needed her. I needed some time with a girlfriend or I was going to go crazy with the testosterone levels in this place. And I needed her help to resolve the problem with Reese. Okay, it wasn't a problem, but my situation with him needed to be determined. I needed to know what he felt, why, since when, how… And most importantly, why hadn't he said anything until now? Well, he hadn't technically said anything, but his actions had spoken for him.

"Kim." Oh, god. Reese. I ignored the call and heard him try to open the door. Thank goodness I had locked it. I wasn't ready to face him just yet. I wanted my answers but I would have to give them as well and I just wasn't prepared for that. Besides, I still needed Abbey's opinion on the matter and I hadn't told her anything about what had happened yet. She was just too excited about coming here. "Kim, please. We need to talk," he pleaded. Damn right we needed to talk, but not yet.

As silently as I could I slid off my bed and tip-toed over to the window. It's not that I thought Reese would come into my room. I knew he wouldn't try to unlock it or break it down, but I wouldn't put it past him to guard my door until I came out. So I would have to take the back way out. I grabbed my Converse from the closet and slipped them on before opening the window. I tried to pry it open quietly, but it let out a creak that Reese—who was still trying to persuade me to open up—undoubtedly heard. I sat on the windowsill, my legs dangling over the edge, and then dropped to the ledge below before jumping to the ground. I could have made the two story drop all in one go but I had yet to test the limits to my werewolf abilities and I did not want to try them out now.

I ran for the woods, seeking the peace and quiet they offered. The trees loomed over me and the further I went down the path, the thicker the trees got. When I was far away enough from the house, I found a thicket and stripped. I had just Changed two days ago but I needed to do this. I needed to let go of all my fears and worries for just an hour or two before facing them head on. I had never Changed alone before but I had to do it now. I couldn't risk going to get Max or Noah to come on the run with me or I might run into Reese.

The Change took longer than normal because I didn't really feel the need to Change but it came nonetheless. I lay on the ground, panting as I regained my strength. The Change took a lot of energy and the pain just made it worse. Once I had recovered I got up and stretched my four limbs. I loved the feel of being in wolf form. I felt so free, almost as free as I felt when I played the piano or when I sang. Or when I kissed Reese. No, no thinking about any of that. Now I was a wolf and wolves did not worry about such things.

I took a look around the forest, now darkened with subtler tones in the eyes of the wolf. All I could see were trees and more trees. I took a whiff, testing the air, and instantly smelled prey. I took off in the direction the smell of rabbit came from. I felt the wind coursing through my fur, tickling the skin underneath, and I purred. I was free. I howled into the wind, not caring who heard or if I scared my prey away. I ran faster and faster, my legs pumping hard beneath me. I was free.

Suddenly I was tackled from my left flank and I tumbled into the bushes as an all too familiar scent engulfed me. I growled deeply and froze as Reese pinned me under him. For a split second the human and the wolf battled for control, both their instincts warring within me until the wolf won out. I was a wolf and human instincts and fears had no place here.

Reese stood over me now, having loosened his grip on me. I jumped on him, licking his face in greeting before nipping him and running back the way I had come from. He was it. I heard Reese start to pursue me from behind, quickly gaining ground between us. He was much faster than me. I swerved and won some ground as he lost momentum at the turn, but he quickly caught up again and pounced. We tumbled to the ground again, but this time I pinned him. I bit down on his neck softly, claiming my victory and then backed away.

Reese stood and walked over to me. I faintly heard the human cry for me to run but I stood my ground. He moved closer to me and nuzzled my neck as soon as he could. I heard him whine softly and I quickly nuzzled him back, digging my snout into his neck. _Mine_, I thought viciously. As I human I could ignore the call of my wolf for her mate, but as a wolf it was impossible to ignore.

He moved to my side then and gently prodded me, telling me to get moving. When I didn't move, he made a show of sniffing. I took a good whiff and caught the smell rabbit again. I grinned wolfishly at him and then ran off without waiting for him. He was quick to catch up, though, and followed at my side as we closed in on our prey. We found them in a clearing and all strategy was forgotten as I pounced and grabbed the biggest and fattest of them all. My agility let me catch one faster than Reese and I was already half way through mine by the time he came to sit beside me, digging into his own snack.

Once all the edible food had been extracted, I waited for my mate to be done with his food and stood guard, making sure no other predator dared to attack him while he was vulnerable. But he wasn't vulnerable, not with me watching his back. As soon as he was done, I got up and led him over to a nearby glade. He was letting me lead, though deep down I knew it should be the other way around.

I dropped down beside a large oak, letting it cover my flank while Reese covered the other. Immediately he started licking my muzzle and I let him clean the muck off of my face before I did the same for him. Once we were both clean, I fell on my belly and curled into Reese, whining softly. I heard my mate whine as well as he gently brought his muzzle to my neck, nipping it in an affectionate gesture.

* * *

><p>I tried not to move, I really did, but I think it was the pounding of my heart that woke him, not my shaking limbs. The hand that was draped over my body and rested on my back started drawing circles into it, trying to calm me. I wiggled and tried to push away from his chest, but he just held on tighter.<p>

"Kim, calm down," Reese said gently, but I couldn't calm down. Not when the man I desired and who in turn desired me as well, was holding me against his body while we were lying naked on the forest floor. I pushed against his chest again and this time he gave in. I scrambled away from him and curled into a ball, bowing my head as I stared at the ground.

"Kim, please, we need to talk," he said as I heard him near me. I closed my eyes as his feet came into view.

"Can…can we…um….," I stuttered, keeping my eyes shut tight as I tried to get the words out. Damn it, Kim, weren't you over this? It's not like he's never seen you naked before. Yeah, but that was before I knew what my wolf had done and before he had kissed me the way he had only hours beforehand. "Can we get dressed first?" I whispered eventually. I heard Reese make an uninterpretable noise before I heard him leave.

I didn't move as I heard him move around in the distance and heard the unmistakable sound of fabric. We were closer to the house than I had thought. I didn't even try to run. Reese was too close and would be by my side within moments. Besides, deep down I knew we had to talk. I just wished I wasn't naked right then. His scent hit me as he touched my knee lightly and dropped my clothes beside me. Still, I didn't move. I heard him sigh and then move away. I looked up to see him fully dressed a few feet away from me, watching me with a pained look on his face.

"Um, could you turn around?" I asked softy, dropping my gaze again. A soft growl escaped him before he did as I asked. I dressed quickly and barely had my shoes on before he turned back around and strode over to me. I backed up and stumbled over a fallen branch, landing flat on my ass on the ground. I pulled me legs up protectively as I sat on the floor, not caring how stupid and submissive I looked. Damn it, I was more afraid than I had thought.

I heard him near me and I buried my head into my knees. He dropped down beside me and I felt his nose dig into my neck, whining softly. His wolf was still very close at hand, which was quite normal after a Change. I was trembling from head to toes as my heart thumped loudly and I had to squeeze my eyes shut to try and calm my breathing.

"Kim," he breathed into my neck before pulling back. "_Amor_, please look at me," he begged, but I just shook my head. I wasn't falling for that again.

"T-talk," I whispered, my eyes still closed. I heard him sigh softly and then felt as his warm hands took my head, gently lifting it. I opened my eyes and looked into his breathtaking, pure blue eyes. Instantly he leaned down and kissed me. It wasn't the soul-sucking kiss he had given me a few hours before. It was soft and gentle; holding onto my neck as he softly caressed my cheek. I was just about to let him in when he pulled back.

I immediately dropped my gaze. My emotions and thoughts were warring within me that I felt like I was about to explode. I wanted him, so badly, but my fears and doubts were washing over me like a rainstorm. Suddenly my lack of confidence was made abruptly clear with one simple fact. I wasn't just afraid of everything that my mating to him entailed, but I was also afraid of what a relationship with him would be like. I had never had a real relationship. I didn't know what it was like, how it felt or how it should be. I didn't know what to do.

"I love you," I heard him say softly. My head snapped up and I stared into his eyes again. He leaned into me again and nuzzled my neck once more, his breath teasing the skin as he spoke. "I've loved you from the moment we met. I've wanted you every second of every day from the moment I saw your face," he breathed and kissed me gently on the neck. I closed my eyes as my heart rate picked up again.

I couldn't smell any lies so I knew he was telling the truth. My heart was pounding furiously and I almost started hyperventilating. He loved me? He's loved me for as long as I've loved him? His hand suddenly dropped from my neck to my chest, caressing everything in its path and I was unable to stop myself from gasping. All the times he had kissed my neck, my cheek, that his eyes had travelled over my body, that he had held me against him, that he had nuzzled my neck, slept with me, caressed me, touched me… All of it suddenly rushed through my head with new meaning. He had never thought of me as his sister, never. He wanted me.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I whispered, trying to control my flaring emotions that threatened to break me down. I wanted him too, but so many things needed answering and I needed to work things out before I even considered letting him take me, no matter how much I wanted him to.

His hand dropped down to my waist, wrapping around it in one slow movement. It didn't really feel like something had changed but it had. Now I could see that Reese had been holding back. Werewolves were very sexual creatures and I'd had a hard time reining in my instincts and emotions and I was only a bitten werewolf. For Reese, who was a born wolf, it would have been much, much harder if he really had wanted me from day one.

Slowly Reese pulled back with his arm still around me and looked me in the eyes, before saying, "Because I'm mated to you." The air was knocked out of me suddenly as my world spun, but I didn't have time to recover before he ploughed on. "The moment I saw you, my wolf decided you were our mate. There was nothing I could. Since then I've felt the need to claim you, to mark you as mine." I could see fear in his eyes and smell it as well. Instinctively my own fear rose, not understanding why he was afraid.

I just stared at him silently, not quite capable of believing his words, though I could smell no lies in them. His eyes were trying to gauge my feelings because they were all such a muddled mess that he couldn't tell what I was feeling from scent. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to control my breathing and clear my head. He was mated to me; his wolf was mated to me. He wanted to claim me, his wolf wanted to claim his mate and mark me as his.

"Kim?" he said gently and I opened my eyes to see his eyes flooded with worry and fear. I took in his black eye, his healing split lip and still purple bruise on his jaw. I lifted a hand and gently caressed his bruise while maintaining eye contact with him. My wolf growled lowly at the sight of the bruises and at the smell of fear in her mate, but I pushed her down. I knew I had to say something but I wasn't sure if my words would make him feel any better.

Without thinking, I crossed the distance between us and kissed him. I felt the need to make him feel better and I had no idea if this would work, but I needed it. I needed to feel that this was really what he felt. It was. Both his arms pulled me closer to him and within seconds I was straddling him, my arms wrapped firmly around his neck. I let him in and he left me gasping for air within seconds, my mind spinning out of control. All my senses suddenly stopped working until all I could feel was him under and around me, all I could hear was the pounding of his heart and his heavy breathing and all I could smell was him and our arousal.

He dropped away from my mouth, giving me time to breathe, and went straight to my neck. I moaned softly as he attacked mercilessly. I had never felt like this with anyone before. I had never been so aroused and had never felt so wanted, so desired. Knowing that he wanted me aroused me more than what he was doing to my neck. My hands travelled down his chest but stopped at his waist, fear suddenly flaring through me. I pulled away from him, but he held me tight. He moved away from my neck and met my gaze.

"S-sorry," I gasped and leaned into him, burying my head into his neck. His arms tightened around me and I breathed in deeply, trying to let his scent soothe me instead of arouse me. It didn't work.

I was anything but straightforward when it came to guys. I had always let them take the lead and make the first move. With my boyfriends and the guys I had made out with I had never let myself or them go as far as Reese and I were going. I had never let their hands stray too far up or down. I had never straddled any of them, feeling their hardness the way I was feeling Reese's. I had never allowed myself to touch them anymore than necessary either. I had never let myself fall for anyone and I had most definitely never felt the desire I felt for Reese right then. I felt so god damned lost.

"I love you and my wolf is mated to you, Kim. I want you. You don't need to be afraid, I won't ever leave you," Reese whispered as he rubbed circles into my back. His words washed over me, soothing some of my fears but igniting others.

"My wolf did the same," I whispered softly. His hand froze on my back and I felt him stiffen against me. His arms slid off of me and came up to my shoulders, pushing me away.

"What do you mean?" he asked gently when he had me face to face. I averted my gaze, but he just took my chin in one of his hands and forced me to look at him. I knew that if I pushed him, he would let me look away, but I didn't want to. My looking away was just a reaction that hadn't completely left my system and he knew it.

"My wolf mated me to you as well. I didn't realize it at first… Well, I didn't realize it until a few nights ago, when you attacked Mark," I said as quickly as possible, stumbling over my words in my haste to get them out. "I brought Alex home because I wanted to know how you felt and Abbey thought that I should try to make you jealous." He frowned slightly as the pieces clicked in his mind and then understanding lit up his face. He smiled suddenly and caressed my cheek.

"And you couldn't just tell me because you were as afraid as I was about telling you," he smiled. I frowned at him, not understanding, and he chuckled. "I've wanted to tell you since we met but I was afraid that if I told you that my wolf had mated me to you, you would run for hills for sure. You're still learning to listen to your wolf and trying to understand what being a werewolf means, so I decided to give you time before dropping the bomb. If I'd known…," he trailed off, shaking his head slightly. "I knew that you felt something but I didn't know how strong it was. What I couldn't understand was why you couldn't see how you made me feel." I flushed and looked away again.

There were a lot of reasons why I hadn't seen his actions and feelings for what they really were, but now that I looked back on them I was able to see them for what they really were. He hadn't been protective of me, not in a brotherly fashion at least, he had been territorial. His wolf had been territorial of his mate, just like mine had been when Reese had talked to that blonde girl. His being so close to me wasn't a Pack bonds thing; it was a mate thing, the need to be close to his mate, a need I understood well.

I hadn't seen any of this because I had been convinced that he didn't feel anything for me, that he just wanted me as a sister. After all, how could I believe otherwise when no one had ever wanted me the way Reese obviously wanted me? I had sometimes been able to see when guys were interested in me but it had always been very explicit. Reese had been trying to hide his feelings so he wouldn't scare me away, so it hadn't been evident. And yet it was still so hard to believe that he wanted me this way. His hand that was trailing up from my waist now and caressing my breast was making it plainly obvious, though.

I lifted my head just in time to meet his lips again and I swear I could feel the desire that he had been building up until now run through him and into our kiss. My hands dropped down his chest again but they stopped once more. Without breaking the kiss, Reese took my hands in his and slid them under his shirt. It was all the indication I needed before I let myself explore his body like I never had before. He moaned as my hands caressed tentatively over his chest, moving slowly up to his pecs. I shivered at the sounds of pleasure he made. I'd had no idea that pleasing someone else was so arousing.

Suddenly his hands mirrored my movements and slipped under my top, mapping my body with caresses that were none too gentle. The thought that he hadn't had sex in quite some time entered my mind and I knew that that probably explained his rough movements. He was hard underneath me and I was unable to stop myself from dropping a hand and rubbing him gently over the fabric of his jeans. He groaned into my mouth, grounding up hard against me, the friction making me moan. The thought of being able to arouse him so and being able to please him was exhilarating and had my heart pumping wildly as I realized what my body really wanted, right now.

"Stop," I gasped, pulling away from his possessive kiss and taking my hands away from the heat of his body. Hyperventilating, I pushed him back and slid off of him. His breathing was coming hard and fast as well, the smell of arousal thick in the air, not helping in the least to let us calm down. I took a moment to steady my thoughts before finally speaking.

"I can't, not yet. I… There are still things I need to figure out. It's not you, I promise. I just… It's a lot to take in and I…," I trailed off, not liking how it was coming out. I looked up just in time to catch Reese's soft and quick kiss before he pulled back and smiled, his hand slowly caressing my cheek.

"I know, _amor_. I'll wait for as long as you want me to. I'm not going to leave you," he said, his deep blue eyes glowing with the wolf. He pulled me to him and hugged me tightly. "I love you," he said softly. I shuddered at his words. I never thought that I would hear him say those words, not in the way he meant them now.

"I…I love you too," I said. We sat there for a long while, him holding me in silence, just listening to the sounds of the forest and our bodies. Eventually though, I pulled away from him and told him that Antonio needed to talk with me. He nodded reluctantly and let me go, getting up and hauling me up with him. He pressed a hand to the side of my neck, smiling slightly, and then took my hand in his, leading me back to the house.

The simple gesture of taking my hand in his was no longer what it once was. What I had once taken as Pack bonds was now his wolf's possessiveness of me. Being mated to me by his wolf and having been born a werewolf meant that his actions were more based on wolf instinct than mine were. This was him holding onto his mate, sleeping with me was both to be closer to me and to permeate me with his scent, marking me as his before other werewolves.

I froze in my tracks, pulling Reese to a stop. I looked accusingly at him as I realized what his marking me as his meant.

"The others know, don't they? That your wolf took me as his mate?" Reese nodded, frowning slightly as he tried to see where I was heading. "So that's why Max and Noah listen to me and obey me? Because they consider me your mate?" I asked. And here I had thought that it was because I was more dominant than them. Obviously not.

"No," Reese said, shaking his head but then stopped. "Well, yes and no. They listen to you because you're dominant, Kim, much more dominant than female wolves normally are, but yes, you take my status in the Pack because I took you as my mate, though were not truly mates." Not yet. He didn't say it out loud, but I practically heard him say the words in his mind. We weren't mates until we actually mated, until then I wasn't his. I nodded and started walking back to the house, still holding onto his hand.

Despite my not completely understanding my wolf yet, I could understand this. I understood that my wolf thought of Reese as ours, as our possession. It should have worried me but it didn't. I took it in stride, knowing that he felt the same way about me.

We walked through the front doors and I started heading over to Antonio's study when I heard Nick call us from the living room. We changed course and I let go of Reese, using the hand to brush my hair. It was a tangled my mess which was filled with leaves and sprinkled with dry mud. Great. That's not going to make them think badly or anything, nor is the faint smell of our arousal going to either.

I walked into the living room to find my family assembled. I flushed as all eyes fell on me and my hair. I looked away from them, embarrassed, and sat down on the empty couch, Reese sitting closely beside me, as close as he could get. Tentatively he took my hand in his, making me flush some more as I realized what he was doing. Claiming me as his before the other wolves. I looked up and saw Max smiling stupidly as he gazed at my neck. Oh, damn. Reese had definitely marked me then. Blushing furiously now, I turned to look at Antonio who was also smiling slightly, though I could see the wolf in his eyes. Catching my awkwardness, he began.

"A girl was killed in New York last night. Killed and eaten by a wolf," Antonio said, getting straight to the point, his tone firm but his eyes soft. "It was Turner. A few nights ago he killed a girl in Philadelphia." Reese growled deeply beside me and I heard two more growls come from Noah and Max on the couch in front of us. "He's getting closer, princess. I know you can protect yourself, but from now on and until we catch him you're not going to be left alone. Addison is going to glue himself to you at the academy. He's a sorcerer and I know that he will protect you should the need arise. We will all be close by in any case. I want you to do hourly check-ins with me or Nick and one of us will be taking and picking you up from the academy," he said firmly, making it an order. I nodded, accepting the new rules. I wasn't afraid but I knew that Turner was getting closer and I wasn't sure if I would be able to take him if he got to me, much less kill him.

Arrangements were made after that, such as who would be taking me to the City and who would be bringing me back. More security measures were being installed in the house, though it was unlikely that Turner would attack us here, but still. Runs were now to be done in groups of three or more. I knew that an hourly check-ins was overkill but I also knew that Antonio was just being protective, overly protective since he was very dominant.

After the meeting, I escaped into the bathroom before going to the dining room for supper. Reese and I had missed dinner since we'd been on our run but we'd had a snack so we weren't terribly hungry. One look in the mirror told me exactly what everyone had been staring at and it wasn't my hair. Reese hadn't marked me just once, but three times, all three hickies in full view. Somehow I couldn't summon up the urge to care. My wolf found it quite normal for my mate to mark me, but I wasn't sure how I felt about everyone knowing since we weren't technically mates yet.

I picked up a brush from under the sink and started to unravel the mess that was my hair. I thought back to what had happened in the glade and was glad that I'd stopped it in time. I wasn't ready, though my body obviously was. Hell, I'm sure it had been ready since day one. I still needed to think things through, though. I needed to make sure that this was what I wanted, that I was okay with what my wolf had done and that I could accept it. It might seem like I already had, but I wasn't so sure. Then I needed to figure out what being mated to Reese would mean. I knew that it was different for us than it was for Max and Addison. We were both werewolves which meant a stronger bond. What that meant exactly, I had no idea. And lastly, I needed to work on my insecurities about being in a relationship and about having sex. It was easy to let go when I was aroused, but I had still been hesitant and I knew that when the time came, I needed to be absolutely sure I was ready and confident in my decision and myself.

Once my hair was mostly untangled—though I'd have to shower later to get rid of the mud—I braided it to the side and left the bathroom, almost colliding with Max as I stepped out. He jumped me the moment I had regained my balance, hugging me fiercely. I hesitated slightly but then returned the embrace.

"What's this for?" I asked gently, rubbing circles into his back, though I couldn't smell anxiety or any other strong emotions coming off of him to warrant any calming techniques. He pulled back and smiled widely at me.

"You're finally mates," he grinned. Oh, right. Max had made it his personal mission to get me and Reese together, giving us a lot of time alone and making sure we were always together even if we were with others. Not to mention his attempts at brainwashing me that Reese was my mate, that we were meant to be together and so on and so forth.

"Not yet," Reese said, appearing from behind Max. Max turned and looked up at Reese who winked at him. I couldn't see Max's face, but he suddenly let go of me and ran at Reese, hugging him too. He looked so happy. Reese chuckled and hugged our little brother before sending him to the dining room.

Once Max was out of sight, Reese strode over to me, but I took a step back. He looked alarmed for a moment, but I just pointed at my neck.

"Mark me much?" I asked mock-exasperated. He grinned and crossed the distance, kissing me lightly before pulling back, grinning.

"Couldn't resist," he smiled and kissed me again. I might have said I wasn't ready for sex but that didn't mean I didn't want this. I wasn't sure if Reese was okay with it, though he didn't seem to mind as he eagerly explored my mouth once more. My hands went straight for his hair which was just as filthy as mine and pulled him down closer. Before we could go any further though, a throat cleared from behind Reese.

Reese growled lowly as he pulled away and I flushed deeply as I saw Antonio standing a few feet away. I kept my gaze averted from his, suddenly knowing what it felt like for my father to catch me making out with my boyfriend—though Reese wasn't my boyfriend, that word just sounded wrong. He was just so much more, he was my mate.

"Dining room, Reese," Antonio said, his wolf showing in his eyes. Without a word, Reese let go of my waist and headed down the hall, past Antonio and into the dining room. All I could see in Antonio's eyes was his wolf so I had no idea what he was feeling. "Princess," he called softly. I walked over to him and hugged my father. He hugged me back tightly, rubbing his cheek against the top of my head. I had no idea what was bothering Antonio so much that his wolf was close at hand but I guess it was Turner being so close that had him on edge. Or maybe it was Reese's scent all over his daughter. Who knew? Eventually we pulled away with murmured "I love you's" and went to have supper.

Reese POV

The wolf was ecstatic within me, prowling viciously in victory. As Antonio and Max had said, Kim was mated to me the way I was to her but she wasn't mine yet, though I had managed to mark her. She hadn't seemed at all upset about it which meant that she understood why I had done it. I just wished that she had done the same to me but I knew she wasn't likely to do it anytime soon.

Just as I'd thought, her lack of confidence was a main player in her running from me and in her hesitancy. She hadn't dared to explore my body and I'd needed to nudge her to do so. Once she'd had my okay, though, she'd let loose. Considering that she had hesitated to do that, I had not expected her to touch me anywhere below the waist. The move had caught me so off guard that I had been unable to contain myself.

"Reese," Noah said, calling me back to Earth. I blinked and looked at my brother, nodding, and went back to washing the dishes. Noah had not said a word yet, no doubt waiting for me to tell him what had happened. He wouldn't ask. He was more of the philosophy of "if he wants to tell me he'll tell me." A philosophy I normally applied when it came to Kim.

"I kissed her," I said, talking to the dishes.

"Obviously," he chuckled and I laughed as well. Yes, my marks were quite visible. "Nothing else?" he asked and I looked at him to see him grinning. I smiled and shook my head. He sighed loudly and went back to drying the dishes I had cleaned. The poor guy had been on the receiving end of my rants about as much as Nick in the last few months. He knew how much effort it had taken to keep myself in check and no doubt knew how much it was going to take now.

"She wants to wait, she says that she's not ready," I said. Noah let out a soft "oh" but said nothing else. There wasn't much he could say to that. There was no doubt that I would wait, for however long it took her to figure things out. Still, I knew she wanted me, almost as badly as I wanted her, so I had no idea how long her resolve to wait would last. I could only hope that she figured things out soon.

I finished up with the dishes and was just about to walk out of the kitchen when Antonio came in. I took a step back, seeing how close his wolf was, just like before. I knew that he was very protective of Kim—he was her father after all—but he knew that I would never hurt her; at least I hoped he did.

"Noah, give us a moment, please," he said lowly. The 'please' just showed that he was trying to act civilized, though his wolf was very close at hand. Noah took off immediately, leaving me alone with the dominant wolf and protective father.

"I want you to know, Reese, that if you hurt my daughter, I'll make sure you never get the chance to do it again," he growled menacingly. I wanted to growl something back but I tried civility instead.

"I would never hurt Kim. I would rather die, Antonio," I said firmly, holding his gaze for a few seconds before submitting to him. He was on edge and I couldn't blame him. Turner was closing in and it was his duty to protect everyone in this household, so his protectiveness was in overdrive, especially when it came to Kim.

"I'll hold you to that," he growled and left. I brushed a hand through my hair and followed him out. He wasn't the only one that was on high alert because of Turner, but I still had to sort things out with Kim. Nonetheless, I would make sure I killed him at the first chance I got. He was not going to get anywhere near my mate, ever.

I climbed up the stairs, thinking of how I could help Kim. She had never had sex before but she had had boyfriends, though not serious ones. She hadn't told me this, Max had. She was skittish when it came to her love life and I honestly hadn't dared to ask. In any case she had never had a long term relationship and she had never let those guys get too close to her. That she had let me get in a good feel just showed how badly she wanted me. I wanted her just as badly, though.

I hit the landing and started heading over to her door when Nick came out of his room. He grinned mischievously before chucking me a small square package. I shook my head and looked at him to see him still smiling.

"About god damned time, mate," he said, leaning against his door frame with his arms crossed. "I swear I think Max and Noah were planning on locking you guys down in the cages until you settled matters." I sighed loudly and threw the box back at him.

"I won't be needing that for a while," I said, but Nick just smirked, not believing me.

"You telling me she's holding out on you?" he asked. I growled lowly, the sound wiping the grin off his face. "Really?"

"She's not ready, Nick," I said, forcing calm into my body, and decided to tell him what he really should already know. "She's a virgin." Nope, he didn't know.

"Oh," he said softly as I saw the wheels turn in his head. Yeah, that explained a lot, especially her not letting us touch her while she was naked. Hopefully that would change soon enough. I just had to help her gain a little more confidence and help her move past her insecurities, both in herself and when it came to sex. I had no idea how I was going to do this, though. The only way I could think of doing it was to show her just how much I worshipped her body but I'd have to be careful to not push it or I could push her into doing something she wasn't ready for yet. Or maybe I could let her take the reins; let her see what it felt like to be in control.

I knocked on her bedroom door and waited, but no answer came. Slowly I opened her door and peeked inside and heard the water running from the shower. The wolf growled lowly within me as I realized that she was eliminating my scent but I calmed him down with the fact that I could imprint it on her as soon as she got out. Hopefully she wouldn't come out naked or that would test my control to the limits.

Kim POV

I had to wash my hair with shampoo two times to get all the mud out, erasing Reese's scent from my body. My wolf growled that I shouldn't take that mate mark off of me, but there was nothing I could do about it. I needed to get the mud off. Besides, if Reese were ever to come up and sleep with me, tonight would be it, though it would be different, very different. It would be the first night that I was consciously sleeping with my mate. My mate. God, that sounded weird but so right. It was a wolf term, but I was able to easily accept it.

I walked back into my room with only a towel wrapped around my body. I froze just inside of the room as I saw Reese on the bed, waiting for me. Oh, god. I flushed as Reese's eyes took in my glistening body and I shivered slightly at the knowledge that he really did seem to like it. I turned away from him and went to my walk-in wardrobe; slipped into some non-see-through underwear and stepped back out, hoping it would make him feel better. Nope, not better.

I saw Reese harden as I went over to the bed and quickly stepped into my night gown which didn't help anymore than the underwear had. My pulse was racing frantically and my hands trembled as I slid under the covers. Reese, who was sitting at the edge of the bed and had been following my movements only with his eyes, suddenly got up and undressed. I tried not to watch, I really did, but I was unable to resist the sight of him stripping, of his biceps flexing, of his perfect six-pack flashing into view… All of it covered in bruises.

I shoved the covers off as he sat down on the bed only in his boxers. He leaned back against the pillows as I crawled over to him, gazing at his battered body. The bruises were all different shapes and colours, all strategically placed to not hit any vital organs. I whined softly and pressed my head against his chest, making him gasp in pain. I bounced up, stuttering an apology, but he just waved it away. I looked into his eyes as he nodded and closed them. He was giving me permission to do what I wanted.

Slightly dazed at his submission, I stared back down at his body, realizing that this was my doing. Not directly, but his beating had been executed on the charge of him hurting Mark who had tried to rape me, his mate. My wolf whined within me, pushing me to comfort our mate. I wasn't ready for what she had in mind, but there were other things I could do. I leaned down, intending to kiss one of his bruises, but stopped and pulled back. I'm sure he didn't want that.

"Do it," Reese whispered and I looked up at him to see his eyes darkened with arousal. My heart jumped into my throat and I hesitated. "Please," he begged, his pleading breaking through my doubts. I bent down and kissed him softly on a yellowing bruise and heard him gasp. I moved a little lower to his six-pack and kissed a greenish yellow one, making him groan. Slowly I travelled over his exposed chest, marking every single one of his bruises, making sounds of pleasure escape from my mate. It was exhilarating to feel so in control of someone that you could please as you wished. I didn't give it much thought, though, moving over his body until the only bruise left was the one on his jaw.

Tentatively I moved up to him and kissed it lightly. As I started to pull back, Reese grabbed my hips and pulled me on top of him, arching up to kiss me. He was hard as he entered my mouth and I could feel myself losing myself to him, the black hole that sucked in my entire world. One of his hands tangled into my damp hair and the other crept up my thigh, sending shivers through me as my arousal grew. Thankfully he stopped just below the brim of my nightgown, though deep down I wanted him to continue, but I knew it was for the best. I wasn't ready, though my body obviously was.

I pulled away from him, gasping, and dropped down beside him. He swerved his body so he was facing me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to him. I could smell his arousal and mine permeate the air and I suddenly felt guilty. I was teasing him silly when he obviously wanted more. I wasn't being fair.

"Maybe you should go," I said softly and immediately felt him stiffen against him. Okay, that came out wrong. "I don't want you to feel like you have to be here," I said into his chest, "I feel like…like I'm…teasing you…" His body relaxed against me and he pulled back slightly so he could look me in the eyes.

"I want to be with you, Kim," he whispered, gently caressing my cheek. "I'll take whatever you give me, anything at all. If you want to scream at me, scream at me. If you want to kiss me, then kiss me. If you want to hit me, hit me… Whatever you want, _amor_, I won't stop you." His tone was so sincere that it took my breath away. I remembered that just a couple of nights ago he'd told me that he had always let the girl set the pace when it came to sex. I wasn't sure if that's what I wanted. As much as I had liked being on top of him just now, I had always preferred it when he was on top of me when he was tickling me or just laying over me. I guess I still had time to figure that out but before then I had several other things to work through.

Still, by letting me do as I wished I could feel a certain power play taking place. He'd probably noticed my hesitancy back in the forest and was trying to help me with my insecurities. It was definitely working, though I really hoped I was ready before it worked too well.

Antonio POV

I paced up and down in my bedroom, desperately trying to rein in the wolf. The noises that had come from Kim's room only moments ago did not make him very happy, not at all, and I was trying to keep him in check before I gave in and went to her room to drag Reese out. Why I suddenly felt so overprotective was obvious but it honestly didn't help matters.

Turner was close, so close, probably less than a dozen miles away and there was nothing I could do about it, nothing. Clay and Elena were searching nonstop for him and I desperately wanted to join them but I could not leave Kim. I was her protector still and even when she was mated to Reese, I would still protect her. She was my daughter after all.

I was both happy and angry at what had finally happened. I was happy because the tension between Reese and Kim had been palpable for the last few days, though they had barely been near each other. The anger had caught me off guard when I realized that Reese could hurt her. Deep down I knew he wouldn't, but it didn't hurt to deliver a warning, just to make sure it didn't happen.

Eventually my wolf was calm enough to allow me to rest, though I would still be on high alert. Kim wasn't the only one I had to protect. Turner being after her meant that he would go through every one of the wolves protecting her to get to her. He never would be able to get her, but I didn't want any one of my children hurt because of some insane mutt. I would make sure of it.


	28. Ch 28 Abbey

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Changes to witness an extraordinary change in Max. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

**Two World Collide – Demi Lovato**

She was given the world  
>So much that she couldn't see<br>And she needed someone  
>To show her who she could be<br>And she tried to survive  
>Wearing her heart on her sleeve<br>And I needed you to believe

You had your dreams, I had mine  
>You had your fears, I was fine<br>You showed me what I couldn't find  
>When two different worlds collide<p>

She was scared of it all  
>Watching from far away<br>And she was given a role  
>Never knew just when to play<br>And she tried to survive  
>Living her heart on her own<br>Always afraid of the throne  
>But you've given me strength to find hope<p>

You had your dreams, I had mine  
>You had your fears, I was fine<br>You showed me what I couldn't find  
>When two different worlds collide<p>

She was scared, unprepared  
>And lost in the dark, falling apart<br>I can survive with you by my side  
>We're gonna be alright<br>This is what happens when two worlds collide

You had your dreams, I had mine  
>You had your fears, I was fine<br>You showed me what I couldn't find  
>When two different worlds collide<br>When two different worlds collide

Ch 28 Abbey

I fidgeted nervously as I waited for Abbey to arrive. She'd actually arrived to New York yesterday, but we were meeting up today since I had been too busy dealing with Mark. Yesterday I had gone to Max's school to speak to the headmaster with Antonio and Max. Mark had been present when I'd narrated what happened the first time he tried to corner me in the bathrooms and what had happened on Tuesday. I varied my story to Mark trying to rape me while I was in the washrooms instead of finding him with Amy. Mark just denied it all but it did him no good. He was suspended for two weeks, though we were hoping for expulsion and maybe some serious physiological help, but without proof we had nothing. However, I'm sure Reese's beating would make him think twice before trying to take a girl. At least I hoped so.

I was beyond nervous of what my friend would think when she saw me. I had changed a lot, both physically and mentally. I was still shy, easily embarrassed and still lacked a lot of confidence but I was no longer the person I had been four months ago. My god, had it really been only four months ago? It felt like so much more. I had just fallen so easily into this world that sometimes it made sense for my father to have been a werewolf.

I tapped the table anxiously, trying to ignore Nick who was in the far corner of the coffee shop "working". I now had a personal guard 24/7. Turner had killed another girl last night in a small town only ten minutes from our house. Every one was on high alert, their wolves' protectiveness not helping matters. The more dominant, the more protective they were which meant that Reese and Antonio were at the top of the list of over protectiveness. Not that the others were far behind them, though. I had one big overprotective family.

I took a sip of my still boiling tea and burnt my tongue, making me wince. Nick saw from the corner and smirked. I glared at him, my wolf showing unconsciously, but he just showed me his back, forcing me to back down. Nick was as dominant as Reese but he didn't feel that pull to protect as strongly as the head of the household or as my mate.

I sighed softly as I scanned the doorway. Reese wasn't my mate, not yet at least. Everyone was convinced that I would give in and accept Reese for who he was and embrace what my wolf had done. I thought so too, though my thoughts and feelings were such a mess that it was hard to believe that I would ever work things out. In the last twenty-four hours I had been tempted over and over again to just give in and let Reese take me, but a talk with Antonio and Elena had left me wobbly.

Wolves mated for life, obviously, but that's not what had shaken me. It was the fact that matings between two werewolves were rare, Elena and Clay being the only known case as of yet. Elena had tried to explain how deep the bond would be once Reese and I had mated but she wasn't sure herself. It was different for her and Clay because they were both bitten werewolves. Reese wasn't and I, like Elena, came from a long line of werewolves. What this meant or how it would affect the mating bond they had no idea, all they knew was that it would be much stronger than that of Addison and Max and Clay and Elena.

The idea didn't scare me, not in the least, but it was unsettling for the human. I had accepted everything the werewolf world had thrown at me, even the supernatural world. I knew that I was desired by mutts, that I could be raped and killed and that I would kill a lot of mutts before I died, but for some reason this just hit the limits. My wolf had done something without my knowing or realizing it until three months later. Yes, Elena had explained it during training, but I had never thought that it would actually happen.

Now that I knew and understood what had happened I couldn't help but feel vulnerable to the wolf. Antonio had said that it wasn't strong enough within me to completely take over my actions, but still. It's not that I didn't agree with her mating me to Reese, but it left me feeling like I wasn't as in sync with my wolf as I thought I had been. Or maybe I was. Reese had attracted me the moment I saw him, wolf or no wolf, and I knew, deep down, that I would have fallen for him eventually, if not right away.

The doorbell chimed and I looked up and saw my best friend walk into the coffee shop. I wasn't the only one who had changed apparently. She had lost weight, a lot of weight, and she had almost a sick look to her skin. Her once waist length long hair was now a few inches below her shoulders. It was still the same colour, though. Light brown, almost dark blonde in the summer. Her curls weren't as defined as they once were, making her hair look like it was just very wavy instead of curly.

I stood abruptly and flew to her, embracing her in a fierce hug. She chuckled softly, returning the embrace. "I missed you too," she said softly. I nodded into her shoulder, too used to the silent communication that Pack bonds gave me with my family, and then murmured that I had missed her a lot. After a moment we pulled away and beamed at each other.

"God, girl. When did you become one of Victoria's angels?" Abbey chuckled, gesturing down my body. I blushed a little and smiled at her.

"I didn't because I refused to starve myself," I said, rolling my eyes. Abbey laughed but eyed me curiously. I just smiled at her again and took her hand, leading her over to our table.

"Coffee shop," she giggled when she sat down.

"And it serves tea," I grinned and we fell into a fit of laughter. We probably looked like idiots, but I didn't care. I was just too happy to have my best friend with me. God, I'd missed her more than I had thought. I'd also missed female company. Elena wasn't quite what I had in mind for a girlfriend to go out shopping with and Nick, well, Nick was Nick.

Once our laughing fit had ended, she ordered a tea for herself and instantly started asking me about myself. I mentally sighed but told her everything that had transpired in the last two days. Yes, everything, minus the Reese telling me he was mated to me and the part about Turner being on a killing spree, demanding the Pack hand me over.

"And you haven't sealed the deal yet because…?" she asked, sounding exasperated. I sighed and then told her what my fears were. It was just always easy to tell Abbey about all this, it was always easy to talk to her, even about sex.

"Wait, so are you afraid of commitment or having sex?" she said, waving a hand in front of her, trying to understand. It wasn't easy to explain my fears when I was leaving out all the wolf stuff, but I guess that took second place when compared to my insecurities which was what was holding me back from Reese.

"Neither and both. I've never had a real relationship before, Abbey, and I guess that kind of scares me," I said gently, hoping that Nick couldn't hear over the sounds of the coffee shop. "And then, well, I'm not sure if I…if I can…well…" Okay, now it was getting hard to talk about. That was just one of many insecurities that ate at me every time I felt Reese hard against me.

"Please," she said, winking at me, "I'm sure he'll like whatever you do to him. You could always let him do what he wants, though, if you're not sure you want to take control." My thoughts exactly, but still. "And the whole relationship thing, well, if you're sure about what you guys feel, then there's nothing to worry about. Just take it easy and let things play out. You'll work through it together, trust me."

"I'll see," I said with a small smile. I knew she was right, but that didn't mean I wasn't scared. "So, are you going to tell me why you dropped out of school?" Normally, I would have waited for her to get to the point when she was ready, but the wolf in me refused to wait. I was dominant which meant protective and I was very protective of the person who unknowingly saved my life. I'd tell her about that soon enough, though.

Abbey was instantly uncomfortable at my words. She bit her lip and looked away, anxiety and fear streaming off of her. I waited a moment before scooting over to her and hugging her to me. She fell into me and I heard a small sob escape her. I had no idea what was wrong but I knew she would tell me once she had calmed down. Once I knew who had hurt her then I could find the bastard and kick the shit out of him.

I looked over at Nick and saw him watching us. He gave me a questioning look, but I just gave him a look, telling him I had no idea what the hell was going on. As he continued to gaze worriedly at me, I caught sight of a blonde, probably less than half Nick's age, check him out with a hungry look in her eyes. I'm sure that it wasn't often Nick didn't realize that someone was treating themselves to some eye candy, but he was too worried about me and watching the doorway to think about getting laid right then. Well, maybe he was thinking about it but he had other priorities right then. I'd thank him later.

Eventually Abbey pulled away from me, her face red and blotchy and her brown eyes red as she wiped away her tears. Before she could say anything, I got up and went to the counter, getting the two most chocolate filled pastries before going back to my teary friend. A smile broke through her sadness as she dug into the chocolate. I let her eat in silence and waited. I wouldn't push her when she was obviously in pain.

"My parents are getting divorced," she croaked after a few bites. For a moment I was frozen in place but then I rushed at her as the flood waters fell again. Oh, god, what was I supposed to say? My mind came up blank and all I could do was hold her, my own tears falling. When we met, Abbey's mother had thrown her dad out. She had been really depressed by the time I met her, but I'd somehow managed to help her through it. Helping her work through her troubles had helped me overcome the death of my grandma and her trust in me had given me the strength I needed to finish high school. A couple of weeks after we met, her parents had made up.

"I'm so sorry, hun," I whispered. Her parents had been on rocky ground ever since I had met them but now it was over and Abbey was the one suffering the consequences. They'd broken the news to her two months ago and it had all gone downhill from there. Depression had sunk in and she'd stop eating, her grades had dropped dramatically and it hadn't helped matters that her mother was scolding her for not doing better. If only I had been there… I wouldn't have been able to stop this from happening but I could have been there for her, like I was now. She hadn't told me anything because she hadn't wanted to worry me but she was sorry for not having told me sooner.

"It's okay, hun, I understand," I whispered, rubbing circles into her back as I felt her body relax.

"My aunt and uncle invited me to come to their place to relax a bit while my parents fight over the house," she whispered into my shoulder. "There was no way I could pull my grades up so I just dropped out. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I murmured. I always told her to put her studies before everything else, everything else except her well-being that is. Frantically I thought of something to say to soothe her and ended up with, "Sometimes some people just aren't meant to be together and they're just better off apart." I really hoped my words didn't sound as hollow as they felt to me. She nodded against my shoulder, whimpering slightly.

"Come on," she said abruptly, moving back from me and rubbing her red eyes. "It's getting late and I don't want to be late to meet your family," she said and grinned suddenly, the action awkward on her tear stained face. "Please tell me that at least one of your brothers is hot." I grinned at her.

"They are all hot and gorgeous," I said, winking at her. They were werewolves so they were all in very good form and none of them wandered anywhere near the realm of ugly.

We left the coffee shop and headed over to my car. Abbey gaped at the Porsche, her eyes wide. I chuckled softly and she turned to me, an accusing look on her face.

"You didn't tell me you were rich," she said, a grin breaking through her outrage.

"I'm not," I grinned, "My dad is." She gave me a searching look, taking in my grin and my eyes, and smiled before hopping into the car. We sang and laughed all the ride home and I knew she was just trying to forget the reason for her being here. I had no idea what it was like to lose a family, I was too young at the time to remember, but I knew it must hurt, a lot.

On the way out of the city, I saw Nick's Mercedes behind us, keeping at a safe distance but never letting us out of his sight. Dominant and protective wolf doing his duty. I didn't resent him for it, though. If any one of my siblings was the one with a mutt after them, I would go to hell and back again or worse just to protect them.

I still wasn't sure if bringing Abbey home was a good idea. It was a household full of werewolves after all, but Antonio had insisted. He knew who Abbey was and what she had done, though she didn't know it yet. I would tell her soon, though. She deserved to know. I knew my brothers would behave and keep their wolves in check but it was Max I was worried about. This morning I had gone up to his room to talk to him after talking to Antonio. I had downright begged him to be nice, insisting that Abbey was a very special for me, like a sister, just like him or Noah. He'd been pissed at first because I was bringing yet another human to our home but he had eventually given in, giving me his word that he would do his best. By the time I had left his room, I'd sensed that my brother was mauling things over, but I couldn't be sure if it was because of my talk with him or because of something else.

Nervously I parked in the driveway and got out, waiting for Abbey to do the same. She climbed out, her mouth hanging open as she stared at the beautiful 17th Century Italian mansion before her. Without a word, she followed me inside. I opened the double front doors and stepped into the foyer, ringing the bell to let my family know that I was here. Reese was the first to appear just as I heard Nick's car come up the driveway and into the garage. He grinned at me and then turned to Abbey, who was having a hard time not staring at everything her eyes landed on.

"Abbey," I said, calling her back to Earth, "This is Reese. Reese, this is Abbey." Her eyes went wide as she took Reese in. I'd told her he was hot, hadn't I?

"Pleasure to meet you," he grinned, offering his hand, the one with the missing fingers, completely swallowing his accent. It'd be just too hard to explain why an Aussie had been fostered in the States. Hell, it was difficult to explain why in a house full of foster kids no one had moved out when they obviously had the money to do so. Thankfully my friend didn't ask. Abbey hesitated for a moment as she took my mate in and then took his hand.

"Same here," she said as my father and Noah strode to us. In less than an instant I saw Noah's eyes flash with the wolf and then it was gone. I blinked at him, surely I was mistaken, but no. The possessive look in my brother's eyes was undeniable. He didn't even look at me when I motioned for his attention. His gaze was glued to Abbey, who in turn stared right back at him. Uh oh.

"Um, Abbey, this is my brother Noah," I said, giving the word "brother" a strong emphasis, though I don't think she noticed. They shook hands, Abbey grinning wildly. I forced her back down to the plain we were on when I said, "And this is my father, Antonio." Abbey's eyes instantly swung over to the man with bulging biceps and about as much muscle as all my brothers put together.

Abbey knew how much it had hurt me when my father had left, well, rather how I felt because he had left. She gazed at Antonio with such a scrutiny you'd think she was judging if he was a criminal. I half expected my father's wolf to put Abbey in her place but I knew better. Abbey was about as protective as a wolf at times.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," she said coolly. Antonio smiled slightly and returned the greeting, shaking her hand as Nick appeared. He declared my friend one hell of a babe, earning himself a look from Noah. We idled in the foyer a bit longer, just chatting, and I felt myself relax.

My family was very accepting and I couldn't have asked for more. Abbey laughed and smiled with Noah and Nick as Reese stood by my side with a questioning look in his eyes. I smiled up at him, telling him that it was okay. He just didn't understand this moment. Abbey had been the only person I had ever truly felt was my family here in the States until I met the Pack. Up until then, it was just her and me, my sister and I. And now my two families were together, my two worlds colliding in this one timeless moment.

Suddenly the dogs came running in, barking and yipping. Abbey, a dog person, immediately bent down to pet them. Brick and Aiden jumped her, begging for more. I chuckled softly along with the others and saw Max coming from down the hall. He gazed at us for a moment and then strode over.

I gave him a warning look, letting my wolf peek out, showing him that I was serious. Max nodded, submitting to me as Reese left my side and stood closer to Abbey. I felt his protectiveness envelope me, making me shiver slightly. I gazed curiously at Max, finding it odd that he wasn't glaring or growling at the stranger in his house, but that just meant that he had either taken my warning seriously or that he was really trying. I was hoping it was the latter.

Without warning, Max strode forward and offered his hand to Abbey, saying, "Hi, I'm Max. Kim's brother. It's nice to meet you." I stared dumbfounded at my brother as Abbey took his hand. Silence fell as they shook hands and I knew everyone was just as shocked as I was. Max hated strangers and humans and would never have let them touch him. That he had offered Abbey that contact meant that he was really trying, whether it was for me or not, I had no idea, but he was really trying.

Abbey turned back to me then, asking me to show her around, and I nodded, giving my little brother a huge grin before leading my friend away. Unsurprisingly Reese and Noah accompanied us as I showed her around the mansion. I remembered how I had felt the first time I was shown around by Antonio and then Nick, breaking down a couple of times, feeling overwhelmed with their kindness. Now I couldn't get enough of it.

When we reached the music room, Abbey immediately went to the guitar. Before I could say anything, she had picked it up and started plucking a tune. I knew it all too well and I went to sit by the piano and accompanied her. I surprised her by singing the lyrics. She knew how hard it used to be for me so this was new for her. I sang the first verse, the one always meant from me to my best friend, and she sang the second one, the words fitting me to a T. She'd dedicated this song to me when we met. It was a song that the singer, Demi Lovato, had dedicated to her best friend. Now it was our song, always feeling like it had been written especially for us, more so now that my world was so different from hers.

Once the tune was over and my family, who had gathered to hear us play, applauded our performance, we resumed the tour. When we reached my bedroom, I told Noah and my mate to scat. They gave me a look, not understanding that this would be better with girls only, but left all the same. I guess they just didn't really get girls, even after having me living in the same house as them for three months. Once they were gone, I opened the door to my room and let Abbey in. She gasped. It wasn't exactly the same room I'd moved into. The bed was the same, the wardrobe and the dresser were the same, and even the loveseat by the windows was the same. But I'd added an exact replica of a Monnet and a two thousand piece puzzle of Paris that Max had made for me.

I took my friend's hand and pulled her over to my walk-in wardrobe. The room was amazing but it wasn't what I had wanted to show her. I opened the door and led her into the small room that was my wardrobe. Her squeal pierced through the room, rebounding off the walls, doubling the pain in my ears as she bounded over to the dresses. I smiled through the pain in my ears. Yep, this was better without the guys.

I set some music in the background and then set about helping her get ready and choosing an outfit out of my wardrobe. We were going out tonight with my brothers. Reese, Noah and Max were coming, plus Addison. I knew Max was making the effort to come, especially since we'd be around a lot of people, but both the Alpha and Antonio thought that he could go. Besides, both Reese and I would be there and both of us were more dominant than Max, meaning that we could keep his wolf in check. More so Max listened to us since he accepted me and Reese as his leaders, so he would obey our orders, hopefully. Plus, he would have his mate by his side, whose presence alone could keep him calm, just like Reese's soothed me like nothing else.

By the time Abbey had tried on a zillion of my shoes and outfits and had settled for a pale purple one, it was still early for us to leave for dinner and I was just thinking of a way to pass the time when she surprised me.

"Here," she said suddenly, pulling a disk from her large bag while in the process of getting her purse, keys, lipstick and condoms—my friend was _very_ sexually active and was always prepared, just in case—into the matching purple bag for her dress.

"What's this?" I asked as I took the disk. She grinned up at me—she was only a couple of inches shorter than me but still—and pointed at her throat where the beetle charm I no longer wore was.

"Photos of our trip. All of them, and also some photos from last summer and such. I thought you might like them since you told me you didn't have—" I cut her off with a bone crushing hug. God, I had an amazing friend.

"Thank you," I whispered into her shoulder. She chuckled softly and pulled back, giving me a once over.

"You're happy," she stated simply. I frowned at her. Of course I was happy, how could I not be? She waved a hand impatiently at seeing my confused look. "I mean you're happy now, unlike when you lived with your parents. This place," she waved a hand around at my room, "this family," she waved a hand at my door, "they make you happy. And I'm really glad that you finally found a place to belong." I stared at her, the pieces clicking in my head as I realized that she was right.

I belonged here. I hadn't realized it until now but it was true. I loved my life now; I loved my family, my brothers, my father and my mate. I was happy living the life of a werewolf, despite all the dangers it encompassed.

"You'll have to thank them for me," I grinned. She smiled back at me, biting her lip slightly.

"Um, Kim, I know I shouldn't be asking, but I… He's your brother, but I just…well, he's cute and maybe tonight…," she trailed, giving me a pleading look. I shook my head, sighing loudly.

"As long as neither of you get hurt and you use protection, I won't get in the way," I said gently, though with a firm look in my eyes. She nodded, looking visibly relieved. Abruptly she got a gleam in her eye and smiled widely at me.

"Speaking of protection, do you want me to give you some or have you got it covered?" I flushed at her words and strode over to my nightstand where the little box Nick had given me less than a month ago was buried deep within the junk inside. I opened the drawer and dug it out, showing it to Abbey. "You using it yet?" she asked, grinning.

"No, not yet," I said shyly, though now that I thought about it I really should be taking it. I'm not sure how long it would take me to be ready for Reese, but when I was I didn't want anything to stop him from claiming me.

"Well, then what the hell are you waiting for? God, girl. One look at your face tells me that you're just one step away from going all the way," she said exasperatedly. I sighed. She was right of course. I took out one of the pills and she handed me her water bottle that she carried in her maxi-bag and I downed the pill. Abbey grinned happily at me when I handed her bottle back. Suddenly she swiped the disk I had left on my bed and headed over to my laptop.

"Come on; get your brothers in here. I want to see their face when they see some of these photos," she called over her shoulder. I hesitated for a moment before doing as she said. Most of those photos were okay but I wasn't going to lie to myself and say that I wasn't fat before, no matter what Abbey had said on several occasions. I had been overweight—not much but enough to warrant the insults I had received—but I'd had an eating problem that had disappeared with my becoming a werewolf. That wasn't what she was talking about, though. There were some photos from our partying nights. Abbey, good friend that she is, had taken mementos of everything, and I mean everything.

I hit the ground floor, almost slipping because of the damn tights, and heard whispers coming from the living room. Slowly and quietly, I walked over to where the voices were coming from. Whispers in a house full of werewolves could only mean secrets. I neared the room and made out the voices of all my brothers.

"She's her best friend, buddy. Trust me when I tell you that it's a bad idea," I heard Nick say. I froze in my tracks as Reese's next words reached my ears.

"You'd be putting Kim in a very delicate position, Noah. If either of you get hurt, she'll feel responsible." Oh. Reese was right of course, but I knew that if they were discussing it, it meant that Noah must really like Abbey.

I sighed softly and headed into the living room. My four brothers plus Addison were all sitting on the couches looking at Noah and then at me when I walked in. Noah looked horrified at me and quickly ducked his head submissively. Ignoring the others, I strode over to Noah and crouched in front of him, something not easily done when your dress barely covered your ass.

"Hun, look at me," I said, laying a hand on his knee. He met my gaze instantly but before he could look away, I took his chin in my hand. He caught the protective look in my eyes and gulped. Noah may be older than me, but I was more dominant. Not only that, but Reese had also taken me as his mate. Put those two facts together and I was obviously higher up in the Pack hierarchy than him. This meant that I felt the need to protect both him and Max, but it also meant that they looked up to me and Reese as leaders, something I wasn't entirely sure I was comfortable with. Still, right then I needed to be dominant so I let my wolf nudge me in the right direction.

"Noah, if you really want to, then I won't stop you, but I will not be caught in the middle of it. Understood?" I said firmly. He nodded with his chin still in my hand but said nothing as I continued. "Remember that she will only be here for two weeks, so don't make into something it isn't. And use protection," I warned, the wolf gleaming in my eyes, I was sure. Again, he nodded and I let him go with one last look from my wolf.

I stood and glanced at my mate who smiled proudly at me. I blushed before turning to face them all and asked them to come up to my room to see something. They followed me out, Reese taking my hand by the time we were in the hallway. Just outside my door I told my brothers to go in but held Reese back. He looked at me curiously, but I just attacked him. His arms wrapped around me instantly, pulling me to him. I didn't let it go on for long before I pulled away.

"Don't think too badly of the photos, please," I begged as he caressed my cheek. He frowned and I bit my lip. "Most of the photos are from our trip to Europe. We used to go out partying and I, well, I took advantage of being far way from home and that no one knew me there." I ducked my head, suddenly ashamed. Reese's hand crept up to my neck and I looked up to catch his deep kiss, making my world spin before he pulled back.

"I'm sure there are worse photos of me circulating on the internet," he said with a small smile and led me into my room just as Max—who was still being as polite as any werewolf could get, if not more—introduced Addison to Abbey. She smiled widely when she saw Reese holding my hand as we walked in but said nothing and turned back to the laptop, starting the slideshow.

It wasn't that bad. There were only six photos of me making out with total strangers, but every time one of them appeared on screen Reese would tighten his grip around my waist and I would snuggle into him, my wolf pushing me to reassure our mate that I was his. His, I was his. No, I wasn't his possession but I understood that that's what it was for our wolves. I knew that the same way I felt that Reese was mine, Reese thought I was his. Well, not yet. Soon, though, I hope.

We left before we had seen even a quarter of the photos and thank goodness. There had been much more than just six guys, I was sure. As we made our way into the City—Reese, Noah, Abbey and me in Reese's car and Addison and Max in Addison's—I realized the obvious. I hadn't really thought about it until now because Reese hadn't gone out from the moment we met, though now at least I knew why. Reese wasn't like me. I was untouched, but he had years experience when it came right down to it. Somehow that thought did nothing to alleviate the fears that I would do something wrong or that I wouldn't be able to please him the way he wanted me to.

I tried not to think about that as we had dinner, though, and tried to enjoy the time I had with my best friend. Thankfully Max was okay with the outing, though I suspect Addison's, his mate's presence helped with this. Reese sat by my side, barely keeping his hands off of me for most of the meal—I guess the photos were still eating at him. Abbey sat on my other side and her attention was divided between me and Noah. At first Noah was cautious, slowly approaching Abbey and then drawing her in for conversation, but now he was laughing and enjoying himself, as were we all.

It was overwhelming at first to see my siblings, my brother-in-law to be, my sister and my mate all sitting down at the same table, chatting away. But I soon relaxed and basked in their company. I could get used to this. Granted, Abbey was leaving soon, but I would enjoy her company for as long as I had it. Besides, her birthday was at the end of next month and hopefully Turner would have been taken care of by then, meaning I could go visit my friend. I'd still have to go with a guard, though. I was a female werewolf and going out alone in the world was a death wish. But I'd still be able to visit her every once in a while for sure.

After dinner we went to a bar with good music. I didn't really like to dance, but Abbey sure as hell did. Addison and Max only stayed with us for a little while before it became too much for Max and they had to leave. We sat at a small table at the edge of the dance floor, sipping our drinks and just talking. When a song Abbey really liked played on the speakers, she grabbed Noah's hand and pulled him out of his seat. He glanced at me, seeking permission, but I kept my gaze passive. I had already told him that he could do whatever he wanted as long as I was not thrown into the middle of it. Noah then let Abbey drag him to the middle of the dance floor and started dancing out of beat to the song.

I smiled at my brother and then turned to Reese. He smiled at me, laying a hand on my thigh under the table before getting up, going for more drinks. I tried not to fidget as I waited for him to come back. I really didn't like bars, less so since I had become a werewolf it seems. It was just really uncomfortable to inhale all the scents that permeated the air and thank goodness it was prohibited to smoke indoors.

"Hey, gorgeous," someone said from behind me. I spun around to find a cute looking guy gazing at me. "Wanna step outside with me?" he said, planting a sexy grin on his face.

"Not interested," I heard Reese say as his strong arm wrapped around me. I felt and smelt his anger washing over me, leaving me momentarily breathless.

"Maybe you should let the lady decide," the guy said, clearly not fazed by Reese's murderous look. Reese growled lowly and I knew his wolf was close at hand.

"Not interested," I echoed, glaring at the guy before me. He gave me a look that probably meant "what a waste" before turning on his heel and scramming away from us.

I barely had time to sigh in relief before Reese was on me. His lips came down to me in a bruising kiss, so possessive that I felt myself being sucked in by him. I kissed him back just as hard, my wolf nudging me to reassure him. It took me a moment to realize that it was to reassure him that I was his but I wasn't and that's why the kiss was so possessive. Until I actually had sex with him I wasn't his mate and until then I was "up for grabs". Technically any other Pack member could court me if they wanted to, though I knew no one ever would. The only other person that could even try was now on the dance floor sticking his tongue down my best friend's throat. Well, Nick could too, but I'm sure he didn't want to die. I wasn't sure if it would be at Reese's or Antonio's hands, though.

Reese pushed against me, trying to get closer, though it wasn't possible. I was at the edge of the high stool and only the people around us were keeping me from wrapping my legs around him. I wasn't one for public displays but I knew that Reese and his wolf needed this reassurance since they had failed to claim me as of yet. One of Reese's hands suddenly left my back and started crawling up my thigh, going much too high for my liking, at least in public.

"No," I gasped, pulling away and grabbing his hand in mine, pushing it a few inches down. I looked into his darkened eyes and heard him whine softly over the music before he leaned into my chest, wrapping his arms around me again. I sighed and pressed my cheek to his hair, wishing that I could give him what he wanted. I wanted it too, I really, really wanted it, but I wasn't ready. I needed to resolve my issues before I could move on in whatever direction our relationship was heading in.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Abbey grabbing Noah's hand and pulling him to the washrooms. Well, they won't be coming out for a while. I let my hand draw indistinguishable shapes into Reese's back until finally he calmed down. He moved away from my chest and closed in on my ear.

"I'm sorry," he murmured and I could feel the strain in his words. I whined softly and hugged him, pulling him tightly against me. Damn it, I was hurting him. I needed to resolve my issues and soon before I really hurt him, but I had no idea how to do it.

I let my gaze wander around the room and my eyes fell on a light brown haired girl in the corner that was eyeing us with hunger. No, not us, Reese, more specifically Reese's ass. I tightened my grip on my mate and glared at her. My wolf growled within me, though I stopped myself before growling out loud. She smirked and gave me a look that clearly said "you're not worthy."

Suddenly I pushed Reese away from me and took his hand as I jumped off my stool, dragging him to the door. He let me lead him all the way out of the building while I texted Noah a quick message that just read "outside". Once I'd done that I slipped a hand into Reese's jeans' pocket and took his keys. He watched me in silence as I opened the car and told him to get into the back. He obeyed and I was quick to follow.

The moment I closed the door, Reese pulled me to him and within seconds I was straddling him, his fierce kiss knocking the air out of me. He knew that I would never let us go all the way here in the back of his car and in the middle of a parking lot, but that didn't mean he wasn't turned on. His arousal inflamed my own, pushing the limits on my self control as he hardened beneath me.

"Wait," I said, suddenly remembering why I had brought him here in the first place. I bit my lip, not knowing how to get the words out or if he even wanted it. "I…I want to…um…" Okay, talking wasn't going to get me anywhere any time soon. Ignoring his quizzical gaze, I leaned down and went for his neck.

He groaned and ground up to me and I couldn't help but smile a little as I realized that he liked this as much as I did. I quickly found his racing pulse and clamped my lips on it. His hands tightened their grip on me as he moaned. I shivered at his pleasure and rapidly set to work a little lower from his pulse line. I pulled back after the third one and found him grinning through his hard breathing.

"Mark me much?" he grinned. I smiled and went back down, teasing him ferociously. He arched up under me, gently moving in circular motions. Goosebumps erupted over my body as I groaned and my control slipped.

My hands flew under his shirt as I clasped onto his lips, exploring from top to bottom. I ended my exploration at the brim of his jeans with trembling hands but I didn't stop. I should have, I knew I should have, but I couldn't. My arousal was out of control and blocking reason from reaching me. I undid his jeans, releasing some of the pressure as I unzipped them. My hands found his boxers, gliding over the brim. Before I could do anything else, though, Reese grabbed both of my hands and pulled them away.

"No, Kim," he growled lowly, his arousal turning his words into guttural sounds. I blinked and growled lowly before I came to my senses. I flushed and jumped off of him, backing up into the door and not looking at him. "Kim, _amor_," Reese whispered as I felt him approach me. I didn't look at him, just kept my gaze on the back seat, trying not to feel horrified at what I'd just done and at Reese's rejection. Reese's hot hand took my chin suddenly, forcing me to look up into his eyes.

"You don't want me," I whimpered softly.

"No," he said firmly, a look of hurt flashing behind his eyes. "No, Kim. I do want you, so badly. But I can't let you do something I know you'll regret," he said gently now. I nodded, accepting his words. My arousal had gotten the best of me.

"I don't know if I can do it," I said softly, averting my gaze and pulling my chin away from his grasp. He was silent for a moment, processing my words, I think. "I don't think I can… What if you don't…like it?" I whimpered. Instantly he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him.

"I'll like it, Kim, and most importantly you'll like it, I promise. But only when you're ready," he murmured. I nodded against his chest, closing my eyes as I breathed him in. I really hoped he was right. "I'm yours, sweetheart, I will always be yours," he whispered. We sat in silence, just holding each other as we listened to the sounds of the bar and its occupants.

"Thank you," I whispered eventually. "For stopping me when I couldn't." Reese's hands drew circles into my back as he kissed my hair, a silent "you're welcome." Being part wolf meant that we were able to communicate silently just as easily as we communicated with words.

Some time later Abbey and Noah appeared hand in hand, the smell of their arousal and deeds still distinguishable. I went in the front seat this time with Reese while Noah and Abbey stayed in the back, sometimes joining in on the conversation, sometimes using their mouths for more exhilarating purposes.

The smell of their arousal mixed with ours that still lingered in the air had my heart thumping, a situation only made worse when Reese's hand came to rest on my thigh. By the time we dropped Abbey off at her aunt and uncle's place I had half a mind set on jumping Reese the moment we got to my room. I bade my friend goodbye with the promise of showing her around New York tomorrow and we were off.

Barely a word was exchanged during our ride home. The only sound reaching our ears being the one that came out of the radio. I guess I wasn't the only one affected by the smell of arousal that was now thick in the air. The moment we got home and the fresh air hit me I relaxed, though my arousal didn't totally pass. At least I wasn't likely to attack Reese as soon as I had him all to myself, I think.

I strode into my room, feeling relieved. Now that the smell of arousal no longer clouded my brain I could think clearly and I was relieved. Reese had stopped me from doing something I would definitely have regretted and teasing him in the car hadn't been the wisest of my ideas. No ventilation. But I'd just felt that need to mark him when that bitch had zoned in on Reese. Reese was mine—as my marks now proved—and no one else could touch him. Not while I was still breathing and my hands were still strong enough to make heads roll.

I slipped out of my dark blue dress, the colour matching Reese's eyes, and went to the bathroom to take my make up off. I didn't wear a lot, Nick forbade me from ever putting on too much, saying that I was beautiful and that I'd only ruin my beauty with make up. When I went back into the room, Reese was already waiting in bed. Night was the hardest time for me. It was just more arousing than the day time.

Reese had been sleeping with me for a couple of months now but he'd always worn pyjamas bottoms or a shirt at the very least. Now he was forgoing all of that and was just in his boxers which clung onto his body, carefully tracing the shape of his…well, you get the picture. I bit my lip, trying to rein in my arousal. Damn it, even the slightest sight of him aroused me. I could only hope that I had worked through my problems before it got the better of me again.

I slid into bed beside him, hoping he didn't smell what my body clearly wanted. No such luck. He shifted beside me, moving closer as his arousal grew. Oh, no. He leaned over to me, kissing my shoulder before slowly moving up to my neck, tracing a line with nibbles and kisses, setting me on fire as I wriggled beside him, his hand coming to rest over my belly. Suddenly he was on top of me, kissing me deeply as his arousal jutted into my belly. I lifted my hands, tangling them in his hair, knowing that I liked this better. I liked him taking control so I knew that I was doing what he wanted. His hands slid down my body and I just realized that I had forgotten to put my nightgown on. Of all the nights to forget it…

His exploring hands lingered at the brim of my panties hesitantly. I arched up, giving him the clue he really didn't need. Abruptly he broke the kiss, his hands now at the sides of my head, holding his weight over me. His darkened gaze stared down at me and for a moment I saw the wolf lurking, but the question was clearly visible in his eyes. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, and forced myself to think. He was waiting for an answer and I needed to give it, now.

I wanted him, so much, but was I ready? No, as much as I wanted to be I wasn't, not even close. I had yet to come to terms with what my wolf had done and all that it entailed, including my higher status in the Pack. I needed to become more confident in myself and in Reese before I let him take me. I trusted Reese with my life but I needed to trust that he really did want me and that he really wouldn't leave me.

"I'm sorry," I said, opening my eyes and giving him a pleading look.

"Don't be," he whispered and dropped his body gently over mine, letting it rest against me as he nuzzled my neck. He stayed there for a few moments, letting me breathe him in as he in turn breathed me in. Eventually, he slid off of me and I curled into his side as he wrapped an arm protectively around me. I didn't want to hurt him but if I didn't figure it all out soon I was sure that he would leave me.

Reese POV

I gazed at her sleeping form, taking in her beauty. I caressed her cheek with one hand while I propped myself up with the other and heard her sigh. She wanted me, she really, really wanted me but she wasn't letting herself take the next step without being sure. This was good because I didn't want to take her before she was absolutely certain.

I'd barely had her for two days and my control was already slipping. I could have let her take it all the way when we were in the car but I didn't. She wasn't ready and we both knew it. Besides, I did not want to take her while in the backseat of my car. How unromantic, really. If there was one thing that seemed foolproof with Kim, it was that she loved romance. One look at her bookshelf or at her favourite movies told me so. When I knew she was ready I'd give her the most romantic night of her life, I'd make sure of it. I actually had to get there first, though.

She was afraid that I wouldn't like sex with her. How could she think that? How could anyone think that they weren't good at sex? Then again, this kind of thinking merely proved just how low her self esteem was. She had grown in confidence, especially in her fighting and when it came to Pack bonds or when she had to be dominant, but when it came to sex, she crumbled. The first thing she thought when I stopped her was that I didn't want her. It was impossible for me to not want her. I was mated to her and she knew it, damn it. She could smell the way she aroused me and feel it whenever I pressed into her. How could she doubt that I didn't want her?

I needed to help her. I needed to help her be okay with sex. And I needed to boost her confidence in herself. Maybe she thought she wasn't worthy of me, was that it? Was that why she doubted herself so much? I pinched the bridge of my nose and lied back on the pillows, staring up at the white ceiling.

The car incident was my fault. I pushed her limits way too hard for her to be able to resist. Still, it fazed me to think that she had taken me to the car just to mark me. I'd caught a girl checking me out as we had left the bar and giving Kim a scornful look. I wondered if Kim had seen her. I hoped so; I really, really hoped so. That would mean that Kim had felt the need to claim me as hers when the girl had set her sights on me. Since she wasn't ready for that then she'd done the next best thing. Visibly mark me as hers.

I smiled to myself as I fingered the hickies she'd left on my neck, almost in the same places I'd left them on her. The car incident was a close call, too close. Somehow I'd managed to pull myself together and stop her, regretting it instantly when she shrunk away from me. I didn't regret it anymore, not really.

I thought back to a moment ago and how she'd reacted with me on top of her. I'd tried to let her take he reins since the other day, but right then I'd just needed to feel her and I'd taken up control. She liked it, much more than when she was in charge. Oh, she liked being in charge, she really, really liked it, but she had been more confident in her movements with me in control. Was that the key? Take her while I was in control? Not something I was used to and she knew it.

I turned on my side again and looked my mate over, mentally kicking myself. I shouldn't be worrying about claiming her, not really. I should be more preoccupied with keeping her safe. Half of me wanted to go out and hunt Turner down while the other half refused to leave her side. She could protect herself, she was an amazing fighter and I knew that if the need should arise, she would take Turner down before he could so much as blink.

My wolf purred proudly at our mate and I could only thank the gods for dropping her in my lap. And I could only be grateful for the fact that her wolf had mated her to me as mine had mated me to her. Things would be more difficult if it weren't so. The bond between us wouldn't be as strong and I wasn't entirely certain if she would have understood what me being mated to her meant. I had been so afraid when I'd told her that she'd taken me by surprise when she'd kissed me.

I grinned stupidly to myself as the memory of her kisses washed over me. My kisses were possessive but hers were beyond this world. I'm sure sex with her would be too. I'd just have to make sure to show her just how much I liked it.


	29. Ch 29 Accepting

**Fearless is the direct sequel to Unbroken, but it will not contain any spoilers so it can be ready safely without knowing the end of Unbroken. It is being published before Unbroken is finished because Kim will have her own story to tell towards the end of The Way to Live. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

**Perfect – Pink**

Made a wrong turn, once or twice  
>Dug my way out, blood and fire<br>Bad decisions, that's alright  
>Welcome to my silly life<p>

Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood  
>Miss "no way, it's all good", it didn't slow me down<br>Mistaken, always second guessing  
>Under estimated, look, I'm still around<p>

Pretty, pretty please  
>Don't you ever, ever feel<br>Like your less than, less than perfect  
>Pretty, pretty please<br>If you ever, ever feel  
>Like your nothing<br>You are perfect to me

You're so mean,  
>When you talk, about yourself, you are wrong.<br>Change the voices, in your head  
>Make them like you instead<p>

So complicated,  
>Look happy, you'll make it!<br>Filled with so much hatred  
>Such a tired game<br>It's enough, I've done all I can think of  
>Chased down all my demons, I've seen you do the same<br>[ Lyrics from: . ]  
>Oh, pretty, pretty please<br>Don't you ever, ever feel  
>Like your less than, less than perfect<br>Pretty, pretty please  
>If you ever, ever feel<br>Like your nothing  
>You are perfect to me<p>

The whole world stares so I swallow the fear,  
>The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer<br>So cool in line and we try, try, try,  
>But we try too hard, it's a waste of my time<br>Done looking for the critics, cause they're everywhere  
>They don't like my jeans, they don't get my hair<br>We change ourselves and we do it all the time  
>Why do we do that? Why do I do that?<p>

Pretty, pretty please  
>Don't you ever, ever feel<br>Like your less than, less than perfect  
>Pretty, pretty please<br>If you ever, ever feel  
>Like your nothing<br>You are perfect to me

Ch 29 Accepting

"And why should we pick you for the solo?" Michelle, my singing teacher, asked kindly. I forced my fingers to stay still at my sides and pushed the words out of my mouth before I regretted it.

"Because I know what it's like to be there. I was bullied, just like the singer and I…I've had and still have my fair share of problems because of it," I said, forcing my voice to stay as steady as possible. It was one thing to talk about this with my father and my mate and it was another thing entirely to talk about it with my teacher and two strangers—well, not strangers, just the co-directors of the academy.

Michelle regarded me for a moment, her eyes told me that she was processing what I'd just said and thinking through what little I had told her during our lessons. She had known I'd had problems—anyone listening to me sing _Perfect_ by Pink would know that—but she hadn't known I was bullied, only my family did. In fact I was getting together with Noah and Max to tell them everything, or almost everything, in a couple of days.

"Do any of these problems include any of the problems the singer had and for which she had to go into treatment for?" Mr Connors—bastard—asked mildly. Jeez, I hope Julliard auditions aren't as thorough as these. I reframed from glaring at him, but my wolf growled viciously within me. Michelle shot the man beside her an alarmed look, but he ignored her and ploughed on. "Bulimia, anorexia, eating disorder, self-harming? If so, have you overcome them?"

"You don't need to answer that, hun," Michelle said, throwing a dirty look Mr Connors' way, but again he seemed unfazed.

"No, I don't have nor have I ever had any of those problems, besides an eating disorder," I said as calmly as possible. Keep calm, Kim. If it's too much, just turn around and leave. No, I have to do this. This bastard would not get the better of me. "I sometimes ate more than I needed to which led to my being a little overweight. I had a severe lack of confidence which I'm still working on and I still have body image issues." If my response surprised Connors, he made no sign of it.

Michelle smiled and nodded at me before looking down at her papers. I knew she didn't like the guy beside her anymore than I did. I could smell her anger all the way from ten feet away. The asshole had been pursuing Addison for quite some time now, taking solos and performances away from him every time Addison refused him. He had caused a riff between Addison and Max which warranted a death sentence or at the very least a beating, or so the wolf thought.

Michelle looked up from her papers and said, "Okay, go ahead, hun. Show us what you've got."

My intention had been to be teary eyed while I sang but by the end of the song I had shed more than a couple of tears, but at least they didn't interfere with my singing. Having just been talking about the very things that made this song so special to me had let the tears come quick and fast. All three judges applauded, though Connors did so reluctantly. Michelle told me that I'd know in a couple of days if they'd chosen me and then I left.

"How'd it go?" Addison asked the moment I stepped out of the audition room.

"Okay, I guess," I murmured, preferring not to worry Addison about Mr Connors right then. I'd tell my mate later, though. "I'll know by the end of the week, though," I said as we headed out of the building.

"So," Addison started as we waited on the steps, "what are you and Reese doing today?" I flushed instantly and looked away, shifting the bag on my shoulder nervously.

"Um, nothing," I said softly, staring down at the steps. I knew I looked submissive, but since Addison was human—well, not a werewolf at least—I gave myself the luxury of not looking at him. "We decided not to do anything." Not true. Reese had decided we shouldn't do anything for Valentine's Day because he had seen how freaked out I was, to say the least.

"Oh, well, I guess it makes sense. You guys have just started so…," he trailed off and I nodded. To be quite honest I don't even know what we've begun or even when. Well, when could be the day we first kissed and what could be…dating? No. God, that sounds wrong. He was my mate, so was it mating? Er, I don't think so. Was there even a word for our relationship? I pushed that thought aside. I really hate labels. Besides, all that mattered was that he was my mate and I was his, nothing else.

Addison started talking about the upcoming performance which was less than two weeks away. It was only for Julliard applicants and Addison said that I needed to make a really good impression so I could get in. No pressure or anything. But I was sure that if I got this solo I would make one hell of an impression. The song meant so much to me that every time I hear it tears start up in my eyes.

Reese eventually pulled up and I said my goodbyes to Addison, switching over to guard number three for the day—Nick had come to drop me off this morning. Yep, I was no longer even allowed to drive my own car. Turner had killed yet another girl on Sunday night. Clay and Elena hadn't been home in a week and every now and then they popped by the estate to rest for a couple of hours before resuming their hunt. Turner had to die and soon. Too many people were dying because of one insane mutt.

I hopped into the car and Reese immediately leaned over, kissing me possessively, like he normally did when we parted or when we were reunited. It was just his way of claiming me, failing the actual mating. My hand trailed over his thigh, finding his weak spot and rubbing gently.

"Kim," he groaned and broke the kiss off, gasping for air.

"Sorry," I murmured, blushing and looking away. As much as I'd like to say that I was ready, I wasn't, but it was getting harder to deny my body what it wanted so badly.

To be honest, the change in our relationship had been subtle, almost non-existent. The only difference now was that we were giving into our impulses, though admittedly not all of them. I now realized just how much Reese had been holding back and how hard it must have been for him, especially after realizing what I felt for him. As I've said, werewolves are very sexual creatures and for Reese to have held back the way he had merely demonstrated just how much control he had. That he was still holding back was simply astounding and I knew that it was getting harder with every tease. Admittedly it was getting harder for me too.

As he started driving out of the city, I told him about my audition and unlike with Addison, I told my mate everything. I was still working on the whole relationship thing but I had always told Reese everything and that wasn't going to change now. Reese growled when I told him that I'd spoken of my problems but he accepted that I was okay. I was, really. It's hard for me to talk about it all but its not going to do me any favours if I don't talk about it.

"I love your body, Kim," Reese said once I was done. I hesitated for a moment and then shrugged.

"I know but I'm still very self-conscious about it. I guess I'll get over it with time," I said, gently laying a hand over his that was already over my thigh. I turned and watched my mate as he frowned at the road.

"Is that why you think you're not ready yet? Because you don't like your body?" he asked, still frowning at the road. I bit my lip and looked out my window. I couldn't smell any anger coming from Reese but I could pick up on his worry.

"I do like my body but…," I trailed off, not capable of finding the right words. "Sometimes I feel like people are going make fun of it, even if I'm no longer overweight." I hadn't been really overweight, just a few kilos over the normal weight for someone my age and size. But I was small and the extra weight had showed and a lot. I'd dropped over twenty pounds since I had become a werewolf and it showed mostly in my legs that had once been chubby and ham-looking, but now they were thin and muscled. The fact that only my legs and butt had been affected by my over-eating hadn't helped my image problems. I'd had chubby legs, small breasts and large hips. An odd combination in short.

"That's not going to happen," Reese said lowly. Now I could smell anger but I knew it was towards the people that had hurt me during high school. I bit my lip and said nothing. He might be right, but that was just how I felt.

Silence fell until we were almost home. "Are you going to tell me what song it is?" he asked, obviously trying to change the subject. I smiled slightly and shook my head.

"Nope. You'll have to wait till next week like everyone else," I grinned. Reese growled playfully but swung a smile my way before bringing his attention back to the road. He wanted to know what song I had auditioned for, but I wanted it to be a surprise. He only knew that it was important to me because of what it spoke about but he didn't know which one it was. I had never sung it at home before. Only Addison knew what song it was and that was only because he taught part-time at the academy, but I'd made him swear to not tell anyone, including Max.

Reese parked in the garage but made no move to get out. Instead he reached over to me and kissed me. He kissed me so much and so often that it was apparent that he needed and wanted more. I wished I could give it to him, I really did. I'd found myself thinking that maybe I could lessen some of the tension without actually mating with him but I wasn't sure if I could do that. I mean, what if he didn't like it?

Suddenly a sweet and familiar scent reached me and a soft something caressed my cheek. I pulled away from Reese and found myself staring at a single red rose. My throat closed up and all of a sudden all I wanted to do was cry.

"Reese," I whispered as he held out the rose for me and kissed my cheek. I took the rose gingerly, my eyes glued to it. "We said that we…," I tried to say, but my voice cracked somewhere along the way. I had never celebrated Valentine's Day before and I had freaked out so badly about the impending day less than a week since we'd started this that he'd told me that we'd forgo it this year. A gesture I'd greatly appreciated. But now this?

"I know, _amor_, and you don't have to take this as a Valentine's Day gift. It would be a shitty one at best, in any case." I started to argue, but he held up a hand to stop me. Still, I ploughed on.

"I don't think it's a shitty gift at all. It's the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me," I said softly. Reese's hand hesitated for a moment as it stroked my cheek and I looked up to find him smiling. He reached over and kissed me softly before pulling back.

"It's not a Valentine's Day present. It's a show of my love for you. You're perfect, sweetheart, no matter what you may think or what others say. You're perfect for me." His words made the tears fall and all I could do was collapse into his arms, whispering how much I loved him.

* * *

><p>I gave my brothers welcoming hugs before sitting down and eating the plate of lasagne they had waiting for me. As was the werewolf custom, we ate in silence, completely focused on the arduous task that was eating before attending other matters. Since it was only the three of us and we all knew that there was a crazy mutt on the loose, I scanned the restaurant and all its occupants every few minutes. Yes, I didn't have a guard with me because I had my two brothers that could more than take Turner together, I was sure.<p>

As I've said I'm higher up in the Pack hierarchy than Max and Noah, both because I'm mated to Reese and because I'm more dominant than both of them. So naturally I felt my protective instinct rise. My brothers were under me in the Pack so it was my duty to protect them. Not only that, but they both looked up to me for guidance and leadership. This, above all else, disturbed me. I had done nothing to prove that I was a worthy leader nor did I know anything about guidance, so how they could look at me and see a leader, I had no idea, but I guess their wolves had something to do with it. Still, the instinct to protect was undeniable and I would do everything in my power to protect my brothers and I mean everything.

I took another scan of the room as Max finished up his second helpings of ice-cream and then I asked for a tea, a beer and a milkshake. I waited until the waitress had come back with my order before beginning.

"I want to tell you about my time in high school," I blurted out. My brothers both looked at me surprised and then Noah's turned into concern. He had seen how painful it was for me to speak of my bullying, but I needed to do this.

Before he could say anything, I started with how bad things had been with my parents and how my changing homes and moving away from my family and to a different continent had affected me. I moved onto what school was first like for me. I was a loser, a no one, a zero. It got worse when I reached high school and the inevitable clicks were made. I didn't fit into any of them and became a loner. That label had made everyone scat the moment I sat down at a table or to ignore me if I talked to them. By the end of the first year they'd started insulting me. Both my brothers growled deeply when I told them the various name-callings I received. Stupid, ugly, fat, ass, skank, bitch…the list went on. Worse were the insults that I received from the cheerleading squad. "You're so ugly, your boyfriend won't have to worry about birth control...your face will do just fine," "Any similarity between you and human is purely coincidental," "Are you always that stupid or is today a special occasion?" And when their insults became too much one day and I broke down, a guy from my chemistry class had said, "I would probably cry too, if I had a stomach the size of the ocean blue!" And on and on it went.

I then told them how everything had become easier once I'd met Abbey. She'd helped me focus on other things and realize that what others thought really didn't matter, though it wasn't until I met the Pack that I truly believed this. I didn't tell them about what I almost did. It was enough that my mate and my father knew. Besides, I didn't want my brothers to think of their leader as weak, even if I wasn't ready for such a title.

It was just as hard as I had imagined it would be. I even shed a few tears. If Reese had been here, it would have been like when I told him. I would have been calm and collected with his scent and presence by my side, not shedding a single tear. But he had things to do, so he had only come to drop me off, though he had said he would have rather been by my side than doing school work.

My brothers took it all in without a word, but the looks of horror and anger on their faces spoke for them. When I was done, Max assaulted me in a fierce hug, quickly followed by Noah. I hugged them both to me, basking in their protectiveness. Eventually they pulled away and sat back down but pulled their chairs closer to me. Now that they had comforted their wolves with my presence their anger strode forward in both of them. They were almost as pissed as Reese. Almost.

"I swear if I ever get my hands on one of those assholes…," Max growled, his wolf gleaming in his eyes. I gave Max a look and he backed down. It would not do to have him angry while we were in a restaurant full of humans and strangers.

"Fuckers, all of them," Noah growled now, anger rolling off of him in waves. "How can they not see how much damage they do to the people they treat like that?" He clenched his fists in his anger and I was thankful that he wasn't holding anything or it would definitely have snapped in two. "Those bitches only went after you because you're so beautiful." I whimpered softly at his words and leaned over to hug him.

"The guys at your school were obviously Neanderthals and thought that by insulting you they'd get laid by the dumbass cheerleaders," Max said. I swivelled my head against Noah's shoulder and smiled over at my little brother, motioning for him to come over, not caring that the people around us were giving us weird looks. Max strode over and hugged me from behind.

"I love you, guys," I whispered. They murmured that they loved me too and then pulled away. For the millionth time since I had come to live with them, I was beyond grateful for having found such a wonderful family. It was so relieving to have finally told them. It had hurt, but I guess that it had to if I wanted it to heal. Now that all my family knew I was sure that they all truly accepted me for who I was and what I had been through. The same way they had accepted Max and Noah and everything that their lives had put them through too.

We left the restaurant shortly after that and started heading over to Noah's car which was at the far end of the parking lot. It had been full when they had arrived, so he'd been forced to park right along the forest edge. Now, though, the lot was almost empty and it was dark. I didn't say anything to Noah, but he knew how dangerous it was to park so close to the woods. Werewolves really like the forest.

I was scanning the nearby woods, it being downwind of us and a likely place for someone to hide, when I saw a shadow jump at us from behind one of the cars to our left. He jumped at me, but Max leapt forward between us and our assailant merely swung him off his feet and threw him to the ground, knocking him out cold as his head hit the ground first. The time it took our attacker—werewolf by scent—to throw Max around, I had managed to shove Noah behind me and had shifted into attack position. Keeping my eyes on the young man before me, I moved to my left, knowing that he would mirror my movements. Slowly I moved myself and Noah closer to Max's prone form as the werewolf before us circled us.

Turner had not changed at all in the last four months. He was exactly as I remembered him from that night. Light brown hair that fell into his icy blue eyes, early twenties and a slender build that reminded me of Nick's, though his arms held more muscle than I would have liked. He stared at me with a confused expression on his face which gave way to hurt. His eyes never left me, so he didn't see Noah moving closer from his right.

"Rachel?" he whispered in a pained voice. "What are you doing?" Oh, right. The idiot thought I was his dead lover. The guy is really crazy then. I said nothing and continued to keep my gaze locked with his, keeping his attention off Noah who was now circling far away from his reach and out of his field of vision.

"Come with me, my love," he said, lifting a hand towards me, trying to cross the eight foot distance between us. I just glared at him. "You don't have to stay with them anymore. I'm here now."

"I'm not Rachel. My name is Kim," I said forcefully. Come on, Noah. Any day now would be great. I could no longer see him since he'd disappeared behind some cars. Turner was either really stupid or was just too focused on me. I think the latter. No one stupid would have been able to evade Clay and Elena for as long as this guy had.

"No. Rachel, what are you saying? Don't you remember me?" he said, making it sound almost like a whimper. Good god, what was this guy on?

At that moment Noah leapt from behind the car just behind Turner, tackling him and tumbling them both to the ground. I stayed where I was, my wolf telling me I couldn't interfere unless the need was dire. Wolves fought one on one and the instinct to do so was buried deep within me. There was no way I could fight it. Only if Noah was in trouble.

My brother was an excellent fighter. He had improved a lot since we had first fought and he no longer held back when we trained. He still couldn't—or wouldn't—take me down, but I knew that he would at least be able to take Turner down. Noah got in some really good punches, all in strategic places, but so did Turner, almost snapping my brother's wrist when Noah stumbled. In fact Turner had a lot more advantage than I had originally thought. He was only a couple of inches taller than Noah but he had a lot more muscle and weight on his side. And experience it seemed.

Suddenly he had Noah pinned on the ground, digging his elbow into my brother's throat. That was my cue. Leaving my unconscious brother defenceless, I pounced and tackled Turner. I managed to land on top of him but I wasn't fast enough to pin him down. Before he pushed me off of him, I caught the look of pain and longing in his eyes that almost hurt to look at. He shoved me off of him in one swift move and before I could jump up again, he'd fled into the woods.

Everything within me screamed for me to go after him, the wolf craving for blood and revenge. But I couldn't go, not when my brothers were hurt, so I turned my back on the dark forest and strode over to Noah. He was conscious at least but he had a broken wrist. It was the only reason that Turner had managed to pin him. He had several bruises that would hurt a hell of a lot more tomorrow and had a few scrapes but all in all he was okay. I told him to stay still while I checked out my other brother.

Max was okay. All he had was a huge goose egg on his head and I knew that he would come to as soon as his werewolf healing kicked in. It wouldn't be long, maybe an hour at the most. I opened the car and easily hefted my little brother in, making sure no one was around to see a small sized young woman lift up a guy about the same size as her as easily as a kitten. Once Max was secure in the backseat of Noah's car, I went back over to him to find him still on the floor.

It took me a moment to realize that he was simply obeying me. I'd told him to stay still, right? I mentally kicked myself as I told Noah to get up and to hold his wrist as close to his body as he could. Once he was in the backseat with Max, I took the first aid kit from the trunk and bandaged his wrist as best as I could while still keeping a look out and keeping my ears perked. The result was not a very good bondage but it would do until we got home.

I hopped into the driver's seat and tore out of the parking lot. I quickly dialled Antonio's number on the Parrot.

"Turner attacked us," I said the moment I heard him answer, not giving him time to even say hello. Without waiting for a response, I hurried on. "Max is unconscious, knocked out cold, and Noah's wrist is broken. He also has several bruises and scrapes and maybe a cracked rib or two," I said as quickly as possible. I swear I felt Antonio's fury crash over me as I heard him breathe deeply.

"Where are you?" he asked with obvious contained anger in his voice.

"Ten minutes away."

"Hurry," he ordered and hung up.

Despite reason telling me not to do it, I sped up and got us home in half the estimated time. The rest of my family was waiting for us in front of the house so I parked in the driveway. I hadn't even put it in park yet when the backdoors flew open and Antonio hauled Max out and Nick helped Noah out. Just as I turned the car off, my own door was almost thrown off its hinges as my mate flung it open and pulled me to him almost all in the same movement.

I fell into his arms, feeling his anger engulf me, making my wolf rise with a whimper. With rough movements and holding onto my waist as tightly as possible, he led me back into the house, following our family in. As the door swung shut behind us, he pushed me back against it, bringing his lips down to mine. His kiss was filled with so many emotions that it overwhelmed me, leaving me gasping for air, but he didn't pull back. I could feel his hot, boiling anger roll off of him in waves, but I could also smell his fear. I was pushed up against the front doors, Reese's body hard against mine, but he wasn't aroused. Not even close. This was him comforting his wolf, letting him bask in the knowledge that I was safe and that I was home with them, that they had me. And of course they were claiming me as best they could. A natural instinct since they had yet to actually claim me.

Eventually he pulled away and nuzzled my neck, inhaling deeply. I breathed him in too, letting his presence comfort me while I worked through my warring emotions and held the wolf down. She didn't like her mate being this upset or pissed. Neither did I. Gently I pushed him back and gestured towards the living room where our family was waiting. His wolf shone in his eyes and I showed him mine, pushing his back. It took longer than it normally did, but I suppose it was normal for his wolf's protectiveness to be in overdrive right then. Once his wolf was gone—or mostly gone—I took his hand and led him into the living room.

Max was lying on one of the couches, still out cold, with Antonio by his side taking his vital signs. I'd checked them back in the parking lot, but they needed to be taken every once in a while in case they changed. Noah was sitting shirtless on the couch in front of them while Nick cleaned the scrapes he had. I let go of Reese and went to sit beside Noah, taking his hand in mine and leaning into his shoulder. A silent thank you. He whined softly and Reese came over and rubbed his cheek in his hair. Reese's wolf's thank you for protecting his mate. With that done, my mate sat down on my other side while I helped Nick clean Noah's wounds and then set to work on his wrist.

As I worked to bandage his wrist again while Nick kept it straight, all I could think was "my fault." Noah should not have been the one to attack while I stalled. It should have been the other way around. I knew that wasn't possible since Turner hadn't taken his eyes off of me, but it didn't help to make me feel better. I had been the leading wolf among him and Max, I should have protected them. Now one was knocked out cold and the other injured. A bang up job for the first time my leadership had been tested.

"It's not your fault, Kim," Noah said as I finished with his arm. I said nothing, didn't even look at him as I took another bandage and wrapped it around his body with his wrist on his chest. "Kim," he said firmly. Again, I said nothing. I turned away from him and went over to my little brother, hoping I could do something for him, though that was unlikely.

I sat on the floor beside him, taking his hand in mine and whining softly. My poor little brother. He'd jumped in front of Turner before he got to me. He'd put himself in harm's way. He could have been killed, just like Noah. They'd both been hurt when they'd protected me. It was supposed to be the other way around; I was supposed to protect them. I'd failed miserably.

"Princess," I heard my father say from beside me. I said nothing as I stared at my brother's still form and felt a hand on my shoulder. "Let's go, sweetheart," Antonio said gently, though the order was clearly recognizable. Slowly I got up and let him lead me out of the room. I heard a soft growl from my mate as we left but a louder one from Nick cut him short.

We went to his study and he sat me down on the couch, seating himself beside me with an arm around my shoulders. I relaxed into his touch. Now he was in charge, he was the leading wolf. My wolf understood that and instantly calmed down. And I didn't like it one bit. Yes, Antonio was my protector—he had been from the very beginning—but I rebelled at the idea of relying so greatly on him. I just couldn't do it. He was just one man, one werewolf. To rely so much on him would give him a burden he really didn't need. He had enough wolves to look after.

"Tell me what happened," he half ordered, half pleaded. I told him everything. From my scanning the woods instead of the lot to my stupid order for Noah to stay still. By the time I finished, his fingers were rubbing soothing circles into my shoulder.

"You did well, princess," he said, pride dripping from his voice. I growled lowly and pulled away, shooting him a look. He looked at me surprised and for a moment I was as well. I had never growled at him like that before.

"No, I didn't. If I had, no one would be hurt or unconscious," I said firmly, anger flaring through me. Anger at myself, at my stupidity, at thinking that I could really protect my brothers.

"They're alive, Kim, and that's what matters. I couldn't have asked for anything more from you," he said gently, lifting a hand to my cheek and stroking it. My wolf purred, but I growled.

"They could have been killed," I shot back hotly. Antonio regarded me for a moment as if deciding something and dropped his hand from my face. He sighed and brushed a hand through his hair before facing me again.

"Yes, they could have been killed if _you_ hadn't been there, sweetheart. I'm sure Noah would not have fought so fiercely with a broken arm if he hadn't been fighting to protect you and Max. Max was only hurt and not killed because _you_ were there," he said firmly.

"But I'm no leader, Antonio. Hell, I can't even give orders, much less protect my brothers," I growled and looked away from his wolf. He was silent for a moment and then he pulled me to him, his arms going around my waist.

"Is that what you're worried about, princess? That you won't be able to lead them? Is that why you keep pushing Reese away?" Instantly I froze in his arms. He'd hit the bull's eyes of course, though to be honest this doubt had grown tenfold in the last twenty minutes.

If I accepted Reese as my mate and I mean really accepted him, then my place in the Pack would be secured by his side. That would mean that for the rest of my life I would be above both Noah and Max and eventually the twins. It would be my duty to lead and protect them. I had been doing that unconsciously until now, even before Reese and I had begun whatever it was we had, because I was a dominant and dominants were naturally protective. My mating to Reese would merely secure my position above them. So nothing would really change, but now that my leadership skills had been tested, I could not find it in myself to take up that position, I just couldn't.

"Dad," we heard Nick call suddenly and we both flew out the door and into the living room where Max was stirring. I kneeled down beside him again, taking his hand in mine once more. My silly little brother who put himself in harm's way to protect me. I'll give him hell for that one. I heard whispers from behind me, Reese's and Antonio's, but I ignored them as I willed my brother to wake up.

A half a minute later his eyes opened and he groaned as the lights pierced his eyes. He squinted and then turned his head to look at me. I smiled, relief flooding through me. I'd known that he would be okay, but it was relieving to finally see him awake. I lifted my free hand and brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"I love you, sweetheart," I whispered, "but if you ever do that again, I swear I'll castrate you _and_ your boyfriend." Though it was a whisper, the warning in my voice was clear. I might not really castrate them but I'm sure I could find some way to punish him. I would not allow him to risk his life to save mine. That's just not how it was supposed to work if he really thought me his leader; it was the other way around. I heard a growl from behind me at my words that I recognized as my mate's but I ignored him. I'd deal with him and what Antonio had just told him later. Right then I needed to care for my brothers.

We made Noah and Max eat despite the large dinner we'd eaten at the restaurant. They needed all the energy they could get so they would heal faster. Max would be okay by tomorrow, though we'd given him pills so he could sleep comfortably tonight, but Noah would need at least a week before his wrist was functional again. I wanted them to sleep with me tonight but I needed to talk with Reese, so they both went to Noah's room to spend the night while Reese and I went to mine.

I stepped into the room with Reese trailing behind me and I could smell his anger. I heard him close the door as I went to sit on the bed and watched him as he came over to me. His gait told me that his wolf was still close by and that Reese was prepared to kill the first person that dared to walk through the door. As he neared, I opened my mouth to start speaking, but he was on me before I could get more than one syllable out.

He pushed me back against the bed, his kiss knocking the air out of me within seconds as he forcefully moved me into the middle of the bed. My hands immediately tangled in his hair, pulling him as close as he could get. I groaned loudly as he left my mouth and started making his way down my neck. Numbly I remembered that we were supposed to be talking but I couldn't remember about what. The smell of arousal was blocking everything else out.

Reese's hands suddenly went exploring under my top, lifting it up all the way to my breasts, giving his mouth free access to my exposed belly. I wriggled and moaned as he kissed, licked and nibbled every piece of bare skin that he could find, making my arousal grow intensely. He came back up to my lips, clasping down hard as he pressed into me, his arousal as strong as my own. My hands trailed over his chest, starting from his neck and ending at the brim of his jeans. With forceful movement, I slipped my hands under his shirt and started pulling it up. Getting the hint, he broke the kiss off for a split second to get rid of the useless clothing, allowing his perfect chest to come to rest over me.

His hands trailed up my body, slowly caressing and leaving goose-bumps in their paths until they reached my top. He forced it over my head, throwing it over his shoulder, and then his hands came to rest over my breasts, my bra still atop them, though that didn't stop his exploration. His hands slid under the material, making me gasp into our kiss as I wriggled my hips roughly against his. His guttural groan was cut short with a knock on my door. We froze as we waited for whoever it was to announce themselves, our breathing coming hard and fast.

"Kim, it's us," Noah's voice came through the door. Reese growled lowly, the sound making me come to my senses. I gave him one swift jab in his side and forced his wolf back with my own.

"Be nice," I ordered as I pushed him off of me and looked around my room for my top. I found it hanging from the full length mirror and I had to jump to get it. I pulled it on, taking a deep breath to steady my breathing and my still flaming arousal. I would deal with what almost happened later; my brothers needed me right then.

I opened the door and found both Max and Noah standing just outside. They both looked a little anxious and were shooting nervous looks behind me at Reese.

"We, er, we just wanted to talk to you, Kim," Max said, looking at his feet submissively. I waved my brothers in, shooting my mate a warning look from the door. He nodded and made room on the bed for our brothers, his shirt still discarded somewhere on the floor. The smell of our arousal was strong in the air, but my brothers made no sign to show that they could smell it. Bless them.

"You're a good leader, Kim," Noah said as soon as were comfortable. I stiffened, but he just ploughed on. "If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have accepted you for who you are and I wouldn't willingly take your orders. You'd have to enforce your dominance over me, but you don't because you don't need to. I trust you with my life and Reese as well." I bit my lip and looked away. He was right of course but that didn't mean that I liked it.

"I'm not a good leader. A good leader would have been the one to lead the charge instead of hanging back and letting you take the shots," I said, speaking to my bedspread.

"We protect our leaders the same way we protect our Alpha, Kim. Besides, Turner had his eyes locked on you so I was the perfect person to attack from behind," Noah said. Max leaned closer to me and I wrapped an arm around him, letting him snuggle into me. I'd say Pack bonds but I couldn't be sure. Maybe it was him seeking the protection of his leader. I then realized that Noah's words were true for Max as well, more so in fact. He would never listen to me or obey me if he didn't truly accept be as a good leader and if his wolf didn't think of me as the better wolf. If it weren't so, then I would always have to enforce my dominance over him to make him listen. I'm sure he would have attacked me by now if he and his wolf really didn't accept me as their leader.

"It doesn't matter right now," Reese said, clearly more relaxed, though he still seemed agitated, worried even. I gave him a questioning look and I saw him visibly hesitate. Without warning, I took his hand and pulled him off the bed. Nobody said a word as we left the room and I dragged him into his old room, fast becoming his current room as his possessions started piling up since the Mark incident. I swung the door shut behind him and gave him a look.

"Tell me," I said immediately. I didn't need to tell him what I wanted to know. Something was obviously bothering him and I don't think he realized how much that agitated my wolf. Something worried our mate and we didn't know what it was and so we couldn't help him. Bad.

"I…I'm sorry," he said, giving me a pleading look. I stared at him dumbfounded. What's he going on about? "Before I… I shouldn't have forced you so hard. I was just scared. Antonio told me what you're afraid of and I… I panicked. I thought…"

"You thought I'd push you away because of it?" I asked, astonished. No, he couldn't be serious. "So you decided to claim me and get the mate bond going before I could change my mind? As if I could," I growled. I didn't like the leadership that had been thrust onto me but I knew that I'd have it, though not as strongly, even if I wasn't Reese's mate. It was just something that came with being dominant.

"I'm sorry. I know it was wrong. You're not ready—"

"No, I'm not but I'm adapting. I don't think you appreciate just how hard this is for me, Reese. I barely understand what this whole mate bond thing is and only now am I learning everything that being your mate will mean. The thought of my wolf mating me to you alone is a lot to take in, not to mention all the other problems I have to work through so I can finally be with you," I said fiercely. I had never fought with Reese but I was just so agitated and anxious about everything that I just couldn't keep my anger in check.

"Kim, I'm s—" I cut him off with a wave of my hand.

"Don't. Just…just stay here tonight, okay?" I said and left the room, closing the door behind me. I half expected him to come after me but I think we were both shocked at what I'd just done. I was just still too angry at what he'd tried to do to feel upset about my actions. I took a deep breath and strode back into my room.

My brothers looked aghast at me but neither said a word as I sat down on the bed with them. All they did was lean into me, giving me their comfort. We lied down on my bed, me between them as I silently shed tears. What have I done? I had every right to be pissed at Reese and he knew it, but did it warrant for me to have sent him away? I may be angry with him but that didn't mean I didn't want him here with me tonight. I whined softly and buried my head into Max's chest, fear at having lost my mate building up within me. I missed my mate.

Reese POV

I deserved it. Every single second that I spent wishing that Kim was by my side I knew that I deserved to be alone. I'd panicked but that didn't excuse what I'd tried to do. She wanted me just as badly as I wanted her and I'd taken advantage of that tonight. I deserved to be alone.

I knew that she had a lot of things to work through and I mean a lot of things, but most of all it came down to accepting the mate bond and everything it entailed and her confidence in sex. Once she'd moved passed all that we'd be able to move forward. I was slowly making progress in her confidence in sex. The other day I'd also taken care of her fear that I would leave her. Never, ever would I leave her, though tonight was the exception. I wanted to go to her, so badly, but I couldn't. I knew I should but I also knew that I deserved to be alone and that she needed time to cool off and allow forgiveness to come calling.

Still, I had no idea what to do about her accepting the whole mate bond thing. Admittedly it was a lot to take in. Antonio and Elena had spoken to her the other day and explained what it would be like and what it meant, but she was still struggling with it. She was being thrown into a position of power over our brothers and she seemed to have a very firm opinion of what it should be like. She wanted to be like one of those leaders that lead the army from the frontline, not like the ones that stayed back and let the others fight their battles. My Kim wanted to fight her own battles. A philosophy that would one day make her Alpha, I was sure.

I heard the door creak open and sat up to see my Kim come into the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Déjà vu hit me as I remembered that just over a week ago she had walked through that door the night before my beating, taking me by surprise just as she had now. She strode over, her face neutral—a habit she had kept from her past, though I knew she did it unconsciously more often than not. As she neared me, her emotions were clear. Fear.

I pulled her to me as soon as she was close enough, bringing her in for a kiss. She kissed me deeply as she straddled me, her hands coming up into my hair. God, she had no idea how much I liked that. I kept my hands on her hips, griping them tightly as my arousal grew. I didn't dare lower them anymore than that. I wanted to, god, I wanted to, but we needed to talk. I could not be forgiven so easily for my actions.

As gently as possible I pushed her back and saw tears glistening on her face. My wolf growled within me, not liking one bit that our mate was crying, but I shut him up. Lately I've had to continually ignore my wolf instincts or I would have claimed Kim long ago. I lifted a hand and wiped the tears away. She closed her eyes and leaned into my touch.

"I'm sorry," I murmured. She opened her eyes, their dark brown almost black in the darkness, and made to speak, but I cut her off. "I know my words can't take back what I tried to do but I'm sorry. I know it's harder for you than it is for me to accept this, but I promise that I will wait. Until you say so I won't let a hand stray where it shouldn't, I promise," I said, knowing that she would take my word for it. I always keep my promises.

She bit her lip in a manner I don't think she realized that turned my insides to dust and nodded. She opened her mouth to speak again but once more I cut her off, this time with a kiss. She let me in and I explored my mate's mouth with slow movements, giving her time to feel me there. She moaned softly, the sound making me harden beneath her. One of her hands left my neck and travelled down my still bare chest to my crotch. I gasped as she gently stroked me over my jeans and forced myself to stay still while I kissed her. As much as I'd like to think so, this wasn't her saying she was ready. She wasn't, her reaction tonight had proven that. I think this was just her way of helping me release some of the tension, though the only thing it did was build it up.

Suddenly I heard the zipper come undone and felt some of the pressure lessen. I broke the kiss, but Kim held me steady with her hand still around my neck. Her wandering hand suddenly slipped under my boxers and took me.

"Kim," I groaned, grounding up against her. The smell of her arousal sent mine flying to the heavens. Her breathing was coming hard but not as hard as mine. Somewhere in the muddled mush that was my brain reason peeked through and showed me the light. I took Kim's wrist and held her steady as I broke the kiss.

"Please," my mate begged. "Let me do this." Her begging broke whatever control and reason I had left in me and I let her go. Her lips found mine again, kissing me slowly and passionately, setting my insides on fire as her hand worked on me below and she gently pushed me back down to the bed. Slowly she pulled away from my lips and started trailing a line down my jaw, my neck, my chest… All the while her working hand never stopped. I only stopped her half way down so I could push my jeans off, but she did it for me, her hands steady despite her arousal, and then came back onto me, her lips starting up from my neck once more.

I kept nothing in. Her movements were tentative and hesitant at first, so I gave her all the wordless encouragement I could. Eventually her travelling mouth went all the way down to below my belly. I tried to stop her one last time but it was no use and I honestly didn't try very hard. She took me in her mouth and I suddenly stopped caring that everyone would hear me—my mate needed to know how much I liked this which I did quite easily after three months of celibacy. Slowly, so slowly, she took me over the edge, by which time I was panting and sweating under her.

When I was done I wanted to show her my love in return. Whatever her fears had been that she wouldn't be able to please me, there was no doubt that that fear had evaporated the moment she made me peak. One fear down, a hundred more to go. But at least we were moving forward, though I had never expected this, ever. She had given without seeking anything in return. I would return it, though this didn't seem to count as sex to her but it was and I'd prove it to her.

I grabbed her from around the waist and flipped us so she was beneath me. I faintly heard her argue that she didn't need this but I cut her off with a kiss while my hands started undressing her. Her top was soon lying somewhere on the floor and her bra was quick to follow. She moaned and wiggled under me as I unclasped her jeans. The moment her panties were off, Kim's breathing picked up but she didn't stop me. I trailed the same line she had only moments ago from her neck down to her belly. I spread her legs apart with gentle movements and the smell of feminine arousal washed over me.

I froze, my breathing suddenly coming harder than before. Feminine arousal always fired me up, but the smell of my mate's arousal did wonders. I moaned as I realized that she was beyond aroused right then. It took all of what little self–control I had left to not take her right there and then. I doubt she would have protested, but it helped to know that she wasn't on the pill and I didn't have any protection handy. If I had, I'm sure nothing would have stopped me from claiming Kim right this second, but pregnancy was a step that neither of us was prepared for. Not yet. I lowered myself to her, knowing that this wasn't going to take very long, though I'd make sure she enjoyed it just as much as I had.

Kim POV

I'd come here seeking my mate, knowing that he felt guilty for what he'd tried to do tonight. I'd come with forgiveness, but the sadness that had enveloped him had pushed me and my wolf to comfort him. And comfort him we had. I'd been hesitant at first, not knowing if I could finish him off, but the sound of his pleasure was all the encouragement I'd needed. Now it was my turn it seemed.

He slipped a finger into me and I clung onto the bed sheets for dear life. I was so concentrated on his finger's movements that when his mouth came down on me, I arched up into it, almost screaming. I forced myself to remember that there were others up here and that they had werewolf hearing but I cared less and less as Reese worked on me. Fire ran through my veins as my Reese worked on me and a distinct pressure built up within me until it became too much. I screamed and buckled as my mate took me over the edge for the first time in my life.

I closed my eyes, gasping for air as I felt my mate come up beside me. I waited until my breathing had evened before finally facing my mate. I swivelled my body so I could look at him just as his arm wrapped around my waist, my bare waist. I didn't care, though. How could I care that my mate was touching me while we were both naked after what had just happened? I bit my lip and forced out the question that was eating at my insides.

"Did you like it?" I whispered, looking him straight in the eye. He frowned at me.

"It wasn't obvious?" I bit my lip and buried my head into his chest. It had been, but I needed to hear it from him. I had never done that before, but some romance novels are very explicit so I'd known what he was most likely to enjoy. And it seemed he had, but I wanted to hear him say it. I felt him gently push me away so he could look at me eye to eye. I was unable to identify the emotion that his eyes hid as he stroked my cheek.

"I liked it, _amor._ I really, really, _really_ liked it." His eyes gleamed in the darkness as the white of the moon fell through the windows. "I love you," he murmured, his fingers softly caressing my cheek and sending shivers through me. I moved into him so I could nuzzle his neck.

"I love you, too," I whispered against his neck. I was getting there. Slowly but I was at least moving there. This was one very big step that I hadn't even known I was ready for. I'm not sure if this counted as sex, though, at least not in the sense that we'd bonded. Soon, though. Soon I'd be ready.

Turner POV

They'd taken her. She was gone. My Rachel was gone. How they were able to brainwash her into believing that she was someone else I had no idea, but I would kill the Pack once I had my love back. I wasn't sure how I'd get her to remember who I was or who she was but first I needed to get her back and I knew just how to do it. She seemed protective of those two Pack cubs she was with when I tried to take her. Her wolf was protective of them which means that I knew she would come running if something happened to them. My Rachel was always so caring and she had obviously taken to the pups. Now they would help me get her back.

For months I had looked for her all over the country when the Pack had hidden her from me. Every time I bit her, she forgot who I was and the Pack hid her from me, but now she was with them. I'd warned them to hand her over or else. Now they were paying the consequences.

Rachel was mine and I would take her back by whatever means necessary.


	30. Ch 30 Moving Forward

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled ****Protective** **to know exactly what happened to Max and Addison. **

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

**She Will Be Loved – Maroon 5**

Beauty queen of only eighteen  
>She had some trouble with herself<br>He was always there to help her  
>She always belonged to someone else<p>

I drove for miles and miles  
>And wound up at your door<br>I've had you so many times but somehow  
>I want more<p>

I don't mind spending everyday  
>Out on your corner in the pouring rain<br>Look for the girl with the broken smile  
>Ask her if she wants to stay awhile<br>And she will be loved  
>She will be loved<p>

Tap on my window knock on my door  
>I want to make you feel beautiful<br>I know I tend to get so insecure  
>It doesn't matter anymore<p>

It's not always rainbows and butterflies  
>It's compromise that moves us along, yeah<br>My heart is full and my door's always open  
>You can come anytime you want<p>

I don't mind spending everyday  
>Out on your corner in the pouring rain<br>Look for the girl with the broken smile  
>Ask her if she wants to stay awhile<br>And she will be loved

I know where you hide  
>Alone in your car<br>Know all of the things that make you who you are  
>I know that goodbye means nothing at all<br>Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Tap on my window knock on my door  
>I want to make you feel beautiful<p>

I don't mind spending everyday  
>Out on your corner in the pouring rain<br>Look for the girl with the broken smile  
>Ask her if she wants to stay awhile<br>And she will be loved

Ch 30 Moving Forward

Kim POV

I awoke to the feel of a hard body pressed against my back. I could feel every muscle and limb as I pushed back into it and froze. The events of last night suddenly washed over me and inexplicable fear built up within me as I realized that I was naked. We both were.

"Morning," Reese whispered into my ear, the arm around my waist tightening its hold on me. My pulse was racing with fear, though I was trying to rein it in. I'd been okay last night, why not now? I knew why, though. The answer was simple. What the hell did one do the day after something like the events of last night had happened? "I love you," Reese said suddenly.

"I…I love you too," I said softly, thinking furiously. Should I say something? I hadn't said anything last night to compliment his work. Or would he want to do it again? Oh, god. If I was this nervous after last night I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like after we actually had sex.

I felt Reese's body shift behind me and then felt as he nibbled on my ear. I groaned and pressed back into him as he moved his nibbles and kisses to my neck. I moaned and pushed hard back against him, feeling his arousal. Without warning, he moved back, pulling me with him, and I somehow ended up straddling him, my chest pressed to his. I leaned down and kissed him hard enough to leave a bruise. His hands trailed up and down my thighs, sometimes clinging onto my hips, but never straying an inch from their trajectory, Reese staying true to his word. If I wanted something I would have to start it.

I was just starting to think that maybe I could give him something to remember me by for the day when a knock on the door forced me out of my thoughts. "Breakfast is ready, guys," Nick's voice announced. I growled lowly at the door as I pulled away from Reese. He grinned up at me, caressing my cheek gently.

"I thought I was the growler," he smiled. I rolled my eyes at him, whatever fear that had filled me moments ago disappearing completely. I knew that I had hundreds of fears and doubts when it came to a relationship, a real relationship, my first and last relationship. I was tackling them one by one, but still, I was afraid. I had to stop being afraid of the unknown so I could bind myself to Reese, I knew that. Easier said than done, unfortunately.

I rolled off of him, swinging a small smile his way before jumping off the bed. I quickly picked up my clothing which was strewn all over the room. Reese had been in a hurry to get me naked it seems. I quickly dressed and glanced over at the bed to see Reese sitting there still, watching me. I blushed lightly at his scrutiny and at the fact that he was still naked and aroused. From what I had seen of my brothers and of the Pack, I could deduce that Reese was decent sized. If the saying "the bigger, the better" was accurate, then I guess I was a lucky girl. I'd find out soon enough, though.

I pulled my top on and then strode over to my mate. I leaned over to him as he moved closer to the edge and kissed him. In that one reassuring and passionate kiss, I felt how some of my fears and doubts went up in flames, vanishing into nothingness. I felt the weight I carried around with me shrink to half its size, leaving me momentarily breathless.

Reese loved me; he truly, deeply loved me, just as I loved him. I'd known this, deep down I'd known it, but last night he had proven it to me. His actions had spoken louder than his words had it seemed. He desired me beyond measure, just as I desired him. He would never leave me. He was mated to me like I was to him and I knew that I would never be able to leave him without losing a considerable part of myself. I now knew that I could please him. This fear had been stronger than I would have liked but it was gone now. I had pleased him and he'd enjoyed it, a lot, and he'd pleased me in return.

Still, I had all my other worries to overcome. Honestly, though, it was all just a matter of accepting because there was nothing I could do to change what had happened. I had to accept and embrace what my wolf had done, even if it did bother me that she had done it without my noticing it. I had to accept the fact that I would be above Max and Noah. This was inevitable in any case, so I was just being a little stubborn when it came to this. I guess I could accept it but I'd make my own rules. If there was a battle, I would lead it from the frontline just like any foot soldier. As far as my issues with the mate bond went all I could do was go with it. Once Reese and I had mated I knew that I'd handle whatever it was that being mated to Reese meant.

The only other little—or not so little—fear was of not being good at sex. Silly fear, really. Hell, I'd never given a blowjob in my life and Reese had liked it, really liked it. I knew that whatever insecurities I had about it or about my body would only pass once I mated myself to Reese. Abbey thought that sex would be a confidence booster. I was starting to think she was right, especially after seeing the effects last night had on me. And all the fears I had about being in a real relationship for the first time with the love of my life, well, I guess the only thing I could do was meet them when they came, just like I'd done today. At least I wouldn't have to go through the whole meet the parents' routine, now that would just be awkward.

I pulled away from my mate, feeling exhilarated with my new found boost in confidence, and grinned at him. "Love you," I whispered and turned around, leaving the room.

I went back to my room, finding it empty, though from Max and Noah's still strong scents I knew that they had spent the entire night here. I'd left when they'd been asleep but I had no way of knowing if they had woken up when I'd left or with the noises Reese and I had made. My insides started squirming as I thought this. Granted, sex was a natural part of life, but I was just hesitant about everyone finding out about what Reese and I had done. It just felt like something so personal to me and it wasn't something I wanted to talk about with anyone other than my mate.

I had a quick shower, knowing that I was eliminating every trace of what had happened last night, though I didn't hear my wolf object and I knew why. Reese hadn't claimed me; he hadn't marked me as his. What we had done had engrained our scent in each other but not in the same way bonding would and that's what my wolf wanted. Hell, we both did, but I wasn't totally sure I was ready. I was closer than I had been before last night but I wasn't there just yet.

Reese POV

"Have fun last night, mate?" I heard Nick ask as I dried my hair off. I sighed and turned around to find him grinning mischievously from the doorway.

"You could say that," I said with a smile. Nick chuckled and strode over to me, clasping my shoulder. Nick's room was the one right next door and the closest to this room, so I wasn't surprised that he had heard what had transpired last night. We hadn't exactly kept quiet either.

"That was one hell of a first orgasm. Glad you didn't let me down," he grinned. I grinned back. Once I'd started getting back into dating after my arrival to the Pack, Nick had given me a lot of talks and tips about women. I'd even learned a thing or two.

I chucked the towel onto the bed where it would stay until the afternoon as I headed to the door. Kim had told me that I needed to learn to be more organized and tidy. I think she's right, but old habits die hard, I guess. Nick and I made our way out of my old room just as Kim came out of hers. She glanced over at us and smiled. Instantly I felt the pull of my wolf to be near our mate and I went over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist as soon as I could. She grinned up at me and then glanced at Nick who had followed me over.

"Morning," she grinned as she snuggled closer into me. I felt the wolf purr at her closeness. I hadn't claimed her yet but last night would do for now. We started making our way downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast and Nick asked Kim if she had gotten the solo she'd auditioned for. She had, of course. I was very proud of my mate and I was sure that she would get into Julliard. They'd be stupid not to take her.

"So, Kim," Nick said as we neared the kitchen, "you still think you don't need the little box I gave you?" Immediately I felt Kim's discomfort as she stiffened and ducked her head, her hair hiding the blush that was blossoming on her cheeks. She said nothing and I glanced at Nick who looked dumbfounded at me.

We walked into the kitchen to find our family already assembled and half way through breakfast. Greetings were exchanged and the morning chatter started up, but my mate remained silent throughout most of it, focusing almost completely on her food. I laid a hand on her thigh, trying to get her attention, but she just kept her head down. My wolf growled within me and I had to stop myself before I growled out loud. I did not like not knowing what ailed my mate. What box had Nick given her?

I spent the rest of breakfast worrying about my mate, hating that I could do nothing to help her, and the moment I had her alone in the car I assaulted her. She gave into my possessive kiss, letting me comfort her and reassure myself that she was okay. Despite Kim's shyness when it came to sex, her kisses and caresses were anything but tentative. Even our first kiss had been earth shatteringly romantic, just the way she liked it, I think.

Eventually I pulled away and held her at arm's length, taking a good look at her. She averted her gaze to hide her emotions and the only thing her scent told me was that she was nervous. I knew that her averting her gaze was not submission; it was just an old instinct to hide her feelings from those around her, namely her parents. I'd make sure I knocked that old habit out of her system but right then I had other things on my agenda.

I heard as the rest of our family got into their respective cars and I glanced at the clock to see that if we didn't leave now we'd be late. Reluctantly I let go of my Kim and got us out of the garage. Once we were safely on our way to New York, I spoke.

"What's wrong, _amor_?" I asked gently. My Spanish was doing very well thanks to Kim, though admittedly my progress had been put on hold since last Thursday. Being alone with Kim in the same room was very distracting now that I could give into my impulses. Our lessons normally didn't last anymore than five minutes before she gave into my caresses and soft kisses.

Kim didn't respond immediately, in fact she was silent for so long I thought that maybe she hadn't heard me. "I don't like talking about it," she said softly. I frowned at the road and glanced over at my mate to see her biting her lip as she stared out her window. I could only imagine that what she didn't like to talk about was sex and I had honestly kind of expected it. Every time we breached the subject of our bonding she looked away and flushed, avoiding my eye until the conversation had ended. Still, I didn't understand what this had to do with a little box.

"What box did Nick give you?" I asked now, wondering what the hell Nick could have given her that would discomfort her. Before she could respond, I figured it out. "When did he give it to you?" I chanced a look at Kim to see her flushing furiously now as she bit down hard on her lower lip.

"The night you took me to the guest house," she murmured. I mentally sighed. Nick really needed to learn to mind his on business sometimes, though I understood that he'd done this with good intentions. It was around the time that I had started losing control and he must have seen how close Kim and I were becoming so he would have wanted to make sure precautions were taken. What happened to his father still haunted both him and Antonio.

"Are you taking it?" Not something I should ask but I needed to know. If she was taking it that meant that she was taking precautions because she felt like she needed them. Hell, right now I carried a condom in my back pocket just in case. Last night could have easily gotten out of hand and I did not want to have any regrets if it ever did.

"Yes," I heard my mate whisper. The relief I felt was indescribable. She was more ready than I'd thought then. I knew she was getting there, but for her to be taking precautions meant she was further ahead than I'd thought. I was about to ask since when, but she was one step ahead of me. "Since Abbey got here." I mentally counted the days in my head but there was no denying it. Six days, she'd been taking the pill for six days now, having started only two days after we began. "I just…I don't want anything to hold you back when the time comes," she murmured and I turned to see her looking determinedly out the window.

I laid a hand on her thigh and she turned to look at me. I forced myself to take my eyes off of her and put them back on the road. God damn it, I was only one second away from stopping the car and claiming her right then and there. Not a good idea since I knew that the pill needed seven days to be effective and I honestly did not want her first time to be with a condom. Yes, I knew all about women's safety precautions, all thanks to Nick of course. Like I said, what happened to his father is forever engrained in his mind, even if the Pack was no longer what it once was.

"When you're ready, Kim. Not any sooner than that," I said, rubbing her thigh. I felt her take my hand in both of hers and give it a light squeeze.

Silence fell between us and the only sound that filled the air was the music coming from the radio. I tried to think of something to say, anything, but I came up blank. I knew that all of this was a whole new experience for Kim. She had never had a real relationship and I think that uncertainty was what was scaring her most of all, like it had this morning when she woke up. I'd caught her discomfort immediately and just knew that it was because she didn't know what to do since she'd never found herself in that position before, almost like the fear of the day after, I suppose. I'd done the only thing I could do; comfort her with the knowledge that I wanted her. And it worked.

When we got to the music academy Kim went to, I made sure to park a little ways off in case someone who knew me—namely Alex—saw me making out with my alleged sister. I honestly didn't care if that idiot saw us, but Kim did so I didn't argue. The moment the car stopped I leaned over to Kim, but she was already on me. She kissed me hard, harder than she had that morning, almost roughly. Her hands abandoned the one she'd been holding on to and went to my thigh and neck. I groaned as her wandering hand below found its way to me. I glanced at the clock and saw that we really didn't have time if Kim wanted to repeat last night, but damn, it was tempting. Very tempting.

I was just about to let my hand go south on her as well when her phone started ringing. I growled lowly as she pulled away and she grinned. I wondered if I could get away with throwing the untimely piece of metal and plastic out the window. The thought evaporated though when Kim fished the phone out of her bag and grinned when she saw the caller ID.

"Abbey," she said and gave me a quick kiss with a soft "I love you" before answering and getting out of the car. I sighed and watched her as she met up with Addison and then took off towards Columbia.

Had it been anyone else on the phone I might have attempted to get Kim to hang up but not when it was Abbey. That girl was the reason my Kim was the person she is today. Heck, maybe even the reason my Kim is even here. And she made my mate happy. I knew that Kim needed some girl on girl time, but Elena just wasn't around enough to be a good girlfriend and Kate was too young. Abbey might not know about Kim being a werewolf but she's a good friend, her best friend, and I owed her my mate's wellbeing, which is why tomorrow I would be trailing after them while they shopped around Manhattan. Well, I was doing it for my mate really, not for Abbey.

I don't care if I have to walk around New York being my mate's bodyguard while they had some much needed girl time. Abbey had been here for almost a week now but she had to divide her time between Kim, her aunt and uncle and now Noah. So I wasn't going to complain if my mate needed me. I would do anything for her, especially when it came to her safety. Anything.

Kim POV

I held onto Reese's hand, rubbing soft circles into it as I sang along to the song playing on the radio, _Without You,_ the Glee cast version which I honestly preferred to the original version by David Guetta and had sung at my last performance. I was just more of a ballads kind of girl, really. Reese squeezed the hand he had a hold of and murmured a soft "I love you" as the song ended, his eyes never straying from the road.

It had been an amazing day. There's just nothing more fun-filled than a day going shopping with your best friend. We'd gone up and down and around Manhattan, going into every store and coming out with bags loaded to the brim. I'm not really in favour of consumerism, but since I had the money to do so and I'd gotten the okay from Antonio I'd paid for everything she got. She'd protested at first but that was before she saw the beautiful Gucci top that she then wore for the rest of the day.

We'd laughed, talked and joked all day. Last Sunday I'd shown her around the touristic places that New York had to offer but I think we both agreed that today was a lot more fun. I hadn't asked her how things were going with Noah—they'd gotten together a couple of times this week and Noah always came home smelling of arousal. Today, however, she was unable to stop herself from saying that my brother was really good. Too much info to be honest. I told her what Reese and I had done a couple of nights ago and she'd squealed so loudly that the entire shop had gone quiet. She'd been disappointed to know that it didn't go any further than that, though.

"Actual penetration is much better, Kim," she'd said loudly, letting the entire store know what we were talking about. I'd walked out of there without even answering her. Of course I knew that it was better, or so I'd heard, but she didn't seem to get that my problems wouldn't let me move forward, though she argued that sex would make my problems go away.

Reese had been with us, though not actually with us. He'd trailed behind us all day, waiting outside the stores and sitting far away from us in the restaurant so Abbey wouldn't see him. I wasn't keen on letting my friend know that I needed a bodyguard or letting her think that my boyfriend was a stalker. Still, I knew the day had been tiring for my mate and I was already thinking of how I could make it up to him. We hadn't repeated the other night, though I knew that we both wanted to. Besides, Cosmo had given me some really good ideas that I was dying to try out.

My phone suddenly started ringing, pulling me out of my thoughts as Katy Perry's _Firework_ sounded within the car. Caller ID told me it was Antonio. I smiled and answered only to be met with an order.

"Get home, now," my father growled. Reese growled lowly beside me. He didn't like it when someone ordered me around or when someone spoke badly to me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, choosing to ignore both my father and Reese's anger and dominance.

"I don't know. Addison told me it was an emergency but—"

"We're on our way."

Werewolves like speed which is why we have so many fast cars at home. Reese had been driving fast already, but after Antonio's call his speed had me clinging to the door. As a werewolf I liked speed as well but I knew that I wasn't immune to what could happen in a car crash. Thankfully we'd been almost home by the time Antonio had called us so we got there before my brother and Addison.

They'd been out tonight. They'd gone to the movies to see some action movie that Max had wanted to see. My brother loved action movies and his mate had taken him. It had been two days since Turner's attack on us. Addison hadn't told Antonio what the emergency was but I knew, I just knew. It would just be too much of a coincidence for something to have happened to them at the movies which was only a few blocks away from the restaurant we'd been at the other day.

We didn't know if they were hurt, but I grabbed the downstairs first aid kit the moment I got home just in case. We had over a dozen first aid kits all over the house, including one in every room and bathroom, all colour coded. Yep, my dad was organized, but our lifestyle required it.

I paced anxiously in the living room, my mate standing by the doorway while Nick and Noah sat on one of the couches and dad looked out the window. I knew it was Turner. Turner had attacked my brother, I was sure of it. Anger boiled up within me, making my wolf rise and ready for battle. All of a sudden all I wanted to was run out the door and hunt down the man that had hurt Noah and had now probably attacked my baby brother a second time.

Suddenly Reese came up to me and took me in his arms. I fell into him, letting his scent and presence soothe me. Once he felt that I had calmed down he sat me down on the couch, holding me against him as he rubbed circles into my shoulder. I looked in front of us and caught sight if Noah's bandaged wrist, my anger rising once more. No one hurts my brother and gets away with it. Mark didn't and neither will Turner. He will die, I'll make sure of it, even if I have to do it myself. The moment he hurt Noah he signed his death sentence, though it had already been signed once he had killed the first innocent girl he thought was his dead lover all those months ago.

I heard the familiar sound of Addison's car come up the driveway and I tried to get up, but Reese held me down. I growled lowly, but he just murmured a soft, "Wait." It wasn't an order, Reese had never given me an order, but he was my mate and I would listen to him, even if it was only this one time. I waited patiently, or as patiently as I could, beside my mate while Antonio went out to the foyer, opening the door for Addison and Max.

I heard Addison's voice say something indistinct and then heard my father swear ferociously in Italian. I rose at the fury in his voice just as Antonio called, "Kim, take a look at your brother, he's been hurt." I growled lowly to myself and grabbed the first aid kit, shoving it onto the coffee table as my brother and his mate walked in. I took in Max cradling his arm, my anger flaring viciously. I gestured for him to sit down and forced myself to relax. I needed to stay calm. I would not do Max or anyone else any favours if I was pissed. My wolf roared for revenge, but I ignored her and focused on my brother.

"It's his arm," Addison said unnecessarily and then explained how Turner had attacked them in the parking lot like he had to Noah, Max and me just a couple of nights ago. My body tensed instantly as my supposition was confirmed. Turner would die and I'd make sure it was painful.

As Addison spoke, I tried to look my brother over and at his arm, but it was impossible with all the clothes. I couldn't take his shirt off without hurting him so I had to cut it to shreds with the help of my mate. At least there was something I could tear to pieces for now.

"He wrenched it like Dustin did that time and it's the same one too," Max said, extending his arm towards me, so I could see the extent of the damage. The area around the part of his arm that he said hurt was starting to swell up. I touched it lightly, making him growl, but Antonio held him down and my mate was standing closely beside me in case Max did something other than growl and squirm.

"It's not broken but it's definitely fractured. You're lucky because sometimes fractures can be worse than breaks. You should be fine in under a week going by werewolf healing times," I said and my baby brother nodded. He wasn't really a baby, but I knew that he liked me calling him that.

As carefully as I could I bandaged Max's arm to his body, making him growl some more, though thankfully he stayed mostly still. If it had been broken, he would be down for the count for a couple of weeks and with Turner on the loose I'm sure he would have been forced to stay home or having a twenty-four hour bodyguard like myself. The fracture would heal quickly, but if he didn't look after it, it could easily break. If that happened, I'd just have to break his legs as well.

"Anything else?" I asked Addison, knowing that Max would just shrug most of his injuries off, and he told me to look for bruises and the likes from when Max was thrown around. I looked my brother over, mentally cursing Turner while keeping my wolf held down. Thankfully my brother had nothing else that could ignite my anger some more.

I felt my mate lay a hand on my shoulder as I finished my brother off and he rubbed soft circles into it, trying to calm me. It worked, mostly, though the wolf's protectiveness was in overdrive right then. I can imagine everyone else's was as well but I was filled with guilt too. Turner wanted me, not Max, so I couldn't understand why he'd tried to get him. To know where I was? I'm pretty sure he knew. The whereabouts of the Sorrentino Estate and Stonehaven weren't exactly a secret. When Antonio's father had been Alpha, werewolves had needed to know where the Pack houses were so they could come and challenge its members. So I had no doubts that Turner knew where I was, but then why go after Max?

"I'm so sorry he hurt you, sweetheart," I told my brother, giving him a light hug, comforting my wolf, "but if you ever try and go after Turner or anyone like that again, I will break every bone in your body so you can't move you idiot." Max laughed at my warning, but I was quite serious. I would do whatever I had to to protect my brother and family. "I will also follow through on the threat to castrate you and Addison. I promise," I vowed. Max nodded, but Addison looked none too happy. I can imagine why, but hopefully that would stop both him and Max from doing anything stupid from now on.

I backed up from my brother just as Antonio said, "I second that," and leaned down to kiss Max's hair. I smiled lightly. Well, at least I wouldn't have to hold him down alone while I castrated him, though I guess my mate would help me if I asked him to, maybe.

"So what do we do about Turner?" Reese asked with a soft growl. I could smell his anger coming off of him in spades and I instantly took his hand, rubbing it gently. I felt his anger dissipate but not entirely disappear. Good enough for now. I leaned into him so I could comfort his wolf with the knowledge that I was okay and it seemed to help as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"We take him down," Nick growled suddenly. I nodded along with everyone else. Yes, Turner needed to be taken care of and quickly, but that was easier said than done.

Antonio pulled out his phone, dialling the number for Stonehaven and putting the speaker on. It was late, but this was an emergency that the Alpha would want and need to know about. Antonio told Jeremy what had happened and about Max's injuries while the rest of us remained quite. Antonio was the leading wolf here, he spoke for us though nothing would have held me back if I didn't agree with his words. An advantage of not being a born wolf since I didn't feel compelled to obey or submit as much as my brothers did.

Jeremy's voice was calm and collected, so I had no idea if he was angry or upset, but the authority in his voce told me that his wolf was close at hand. Karl was going to join Elena and Clay on the hunt for Turner since he was an excellent tracker. I knew that Antonio didn't really like Karl—though I had no idea why—but he didn't object to Karl's collaboration. In fact he welcomed it. Anything for the safety of his children, I suppose.

Once the Alpha had spoken it was time for bed. Max went up to his room with his mate who would be staying with him for the night. I'm sure Antonio did not like this at all but he had other things to worry about other than his son sleeping in the same bed as his boyfriend. Besides, I slept with my mate every night and he didn't worry about me at all, I think.

The moment my bedroom door closed behind me Reese had me up against it. I could feel mine and his anger at what had happened flow into our kiss, making it rough and almost painful. He pushed me up hard against the door, threatening to push me all the way through it. Without warning, he pulled away and bent down, lifting me off my feet, cradling me in his arms as he kissed me again. I knew that people had sex to release their anger or frustration but I wasn't sure if I was ready.

We fell onto the bed, me under Reese as he shifted us into the middle of the bed without breaking the kiss. His hands started exploring under my top as I held on tightly to his neck, arching my hips up to his. He groaned and I realized that if he took this all the way I wouldn't be able to stop him. I might kill him if he did.

Suddenly his hands came out from under my top and he broke the kiss off. I growled lowly as he pulled away from me but stopped when I saw him sitting with his head in his hands, the smell of fear reaching me. I pulled myself together and crawled over to him at the edge of the bed. I laid a hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly to make him look up. When his eyes met mine they were dark from arousal, the wolf gleaming within them.

"What's wrong, hun?" I said gently. Reese stared at me for a moment and then smiled slightly. It was the first time I had ever used an endearment with him. It was just one of those things that came with being in a relationship that I hadn't dared to do up until then.

"I promised I wouldn't push," he whispered, averting his gaze from mine. Oh. I hadn't even thought about that. I took a deep breath and forced my arousal back which was easy to do when I had my mate in front of me in the state he was in. Gently I took his hands in mine and pulled myself onto him, straddling his lap. I dropped his hands and took his head instead, forcing him to look at me.

"I'm trying, _amor_, I really am," I whispered and saw hurt flash through his eyes. "I know you don't want to push but I don't expect you to be in total control of your impulses or needs." I stroked his cheek as I spoke and watched as his eyes lightened to the deep blue that I loved. I leaned towards him and kissed him softly. He let me in, but I could feel that he was holding back. "Reese," I growled and pulled away, giving him a look.

"I can't give in without wanting to claim you, Kim. I need to feel that you're mine so I can protect you against Turner," he murmured and I could see in his eyes how much control he had. I bit my lip and thought about it for a moment. It would just be so easy to give in right then and I wanted to, I so wanted to, but I still needed to accept and there were still doubts I needed to work through before we did this.

"Did the other night help? I mean, after that did you feel like I was…yours?" I asked. I understood the wolf's need to claim his mate because I felt it as well and I also understood the way our wolves treated each other as possessions, though it felt very old worldish to me. However, I understood and accepted it the way it was.

"No, but it helped to placate the wolf," he said softly. Immediately I kissed him hard, my hands tangling in his hair as I pulled him closer. His hands gripped my hips tightly as he ground up to me and I let one of my hands trail down his chest, but one of his stopped mine before it reached its destination. "You first," he gasped, breaking the kiss for a moment. I hesitated but then nodded. If that's what my mate needed, then I wasn't going to complain. I wanted to let loose some of my anger and frustration at my inability to go after Turner and protect my brothers too, but I think Reese needed this more than I did.

Reese gently pushed me back against the bed so he was lying atop of me once more. He tried to be soft and gentle as he started pulling my clothes off, but his efforts were shot to hell when I wiggled my hips against his and started yanking at his clothes. I moaned as Reese's mouth came down to my breast once the bra was off. I wasn't very happy with the size of my second base, but Reese seemed to like it just fine. Once my jeans and underwear were off Reese slowly made his way up to my mouth, making sure to kiss and nibble on every piece of bare skin on the way while he let his hand wander below me.

I gasped and moaned into my mate's mouth, trying to stay still while he pleasured me below. His mouth suddenly pulled away from mine and I opened my eyes to find his piercing blue gaze watching me. I held his gaze despite my inclination to close my eyes as his finger teased me and wandered inside of me, but I was unable to stop myself from digging my nails into his back. As I started to feel the pressure build up within me, my mate slid down me and clamped his mouth over me. I peaked with a stifled scream, almost forgetting that everyone would hear.

The moment I caught my breath I sat up and pushed Reese into the position I'd just been in. His shirt was already off so I quickly released him of the rest of his clothing. He was already fully hard and I was tempted to let him take me, so tempted, but my doubts won out, so instead I put Cosmo's advice to the test.

Reese POV

I'd wanted her to go first because I thought that pleasing my mate would calm me more than her pleasing me would. I was wrong. Last time she'd gone slowly and only picked up the pace at the end. Now, though, she went hard and fast, probably thinking that it was what I needed. It was.

I groaned and gasped, arching my hips higher, as my mate worked mercilessly, doing things she hadn't last time. God, you would think she'd done this a million times before, though I knew I was the first. Her warm mouth and hands took me over the edge quicker than I had taken her. When I was done, she came up beside me and waited silently for me to face her. I opened my eyes and found her watching me expectantly.

"That was amazing," I groaned and turned my body to face hers. A smile lit up her face and I saw her flush slightly. She'd caught me off guard the other night since I'd made it plainly obvious that I'd enjoyed her work, but now I knew that she just needed the reassurance, no matter how evident I made my pleasure. "That was _really_ amazing," I said, more firmly now that I'd caught my breath. She didn't say a word and just snuggled into me, burying her head into my chest. "I love you," I whispered.

"Love you too," she murmured, her breath tickling the skin on my chest. I sighed in contentment despite the night's events. We might not have mated, but my mate could read me and my needs better than anyone. Better yet was the fact that she gave me what I needed when I needed it. She hadn't let me claim her yet but she'd placated the wolf and my most basic needs for now. But she had needed it as well.

The anger that had rolled off of her when she heard that there was an emergency at home and then when she had seen her wounded brother had merely ignited my own. We both felt very protective of Noah and Max, they were under our protection after all. My wolf had been at the forefront for most of the time that Kim had attended Max, just waiting for his moment so I could go kill Turner but I couldn't leave my mate's side. I knew that I would only kill Turner if he got close enough to Kim; though I hoped he was long dead before that. I didn't want the mutt anywhere near my Kim.

The wolf's viciousness and protectiveness that had brewed within me and my mate's anger had left me with the dying need to claim and protect my mate. I still had no idea how I stopped myself in time, but my Kim was understanding and I loved her so much for it. For now this placated the wolf and my needs, but I knew it wouldn't last long. With Turner so close I needed to protect my mate and I needed to know that she was mine to protect and mine alone.

Kim POV

"I'm fine, Kim," Max said exasperatedly the moment I walked through his bedroom door. I raised my eyebrow at him and gave him a look. From his tone you'd think I'd asked a million times already. I'd only asked five or six times, maybe seven.

"So I heard," I said lightly and walked over to his bed, sitting down beside him. I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and he leaned into me as I looked at the book he was reading. A Charles Dickens. Max really liked the classics and so did I, though I was more of a romance novels type of girl. Yes, I'm a romantic and so is Reese.

"Max, I wanted to talk to you about what happened the day Mark assaulted me in the bathrooms. The second time," I said gently, rubbing my fingers into his shoulders. "Remember I told you that he'd been trying to rape a girl before I got there?" I waited until Max nodded before telling him about how I'd helped Amy after I'd left Mark in the washrooms and what I did for her.

"I know it wasn't fair for me to have offered your help without asking you first but I want you to consider it, please," I said softly. Max pulled away from me and stared down at his bedcover for a moment before speaking.

"I'll do it, Kim. If this girl needs my help against Mark, I promise I'll help her," Max said and looked at me for a moment before submitting, showing me that he was serious. I leaned over and hugged him tightly. My brother had grown so much, though mostly in maturity since I was still a little taller than him.

Suddenly he pulled away from me and grinned at me with a knowing smile. "I heard Reese and you are finally mates now," he grinned. I stared at him, knowing that there was only one reason for him to think that. He heard us last night. I did not like the idea of talking to my brother about my sex life, though I knew that it shouldn't really bother me, but it did and a lot.

I bit my lip and looked down at Max's bedspread as I answered. "Not yet." I glanced up to find Max frowning at me. Max's problems and his wolf being so close didn't really let him see that some subjects were touchy or embarrassing for others. Not his fault, but it was still uncomfortable.

"But last night I heard…," he trailed off when he caught my horrified look. God, I think I'll talk to Antonio about more soundproof walls. I did not want to have sex with my mate while worrying that everyone would hear us.

A knock on the door saved me any further embarrassment and Noah came in with his arms filled with chocolate and chips, looking pleased with himself and the treasure in his arms. He dropped it all onto Max's bed and jumped on, grabbing the first chocolate bar he got his hands on, but before he started on it he looked between Max and me and raised his eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" Noah asked, looking between us with a puzzled look in his face.

"Kim isn't letting Reese claim her yet," Max said dumbfounded. I bit my lip and avoided my brothers' gaze, wishing I could disappear into the bed.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said softly, still not meeting their eyes. Talking about sex with Abbey and my mate was okay, talking about it with my brothers was not.

"I just don't understand why, Kim," Max said softly and I looked up to see him looking at me concerned. I glanced at Noah to see the same expression on his face. God, what the hell was I supposed to tell them? I couldn't tell them the truth; I did not want to burden them with my problems after all, least of all my sex life problems.

"What Kim and I do is none of your business," I heard growled from the doorway and saw my knight in shining armour stride into the room. He came over and sat beside me, gently laying a hand on the small of my back as he stared Noah and Max down. I growled lowly at my mate and shook my head. They needed to understand so they could accept.

"Reese is right, guys, but I also just don't like talking about it or being put on the spot like that," I said softly, though keeping my gaze on my brothers while I spoke.

"Why? It's normal for you guys to have sex. It's just a part of life," my wise brother said. I nodded and wrapped an arm around him as he leaned into me. Like I said, Max's problems led him to miss certain social cues so he must be worried that he'd upset us or something. He hadn't but he needed to make sure.

"I know, it's just a me thing," I said, rubbing my fingers into his shoulders. I knew that I should explain but I really didn't want to talk about it. While growing up I'd never spoken about anything with my parents or sister, least of all about sex. Everything I knew was all thanks to my school, what Abbey tells me and what I found out by myself. My mother had tried to give me the talk when I was fourteen but she gave up when she saw my reluctance to talk about it with her. She honestly didn't really try that hard. I think it was more of a token attempt as a mother.

"I promise I'll try to change that, though," I whispered, pulling my brother closer to me and shooting Noah a smile, "Just give me time, okay?" Max nodded against my chest and Noah grinned, nodding as well. I glanced at my mate and got a proud smile from him.

I knew that it was normal for siblings to talk about sex between themselves. I don't know why I could do it so easily with Abbey but I guess the fact that she was a girl helped. Still, I wanted to have that closeness with my brothers, to have no barriers in what we spoke about or what we did. I needed to try so I decided to take the first step to deepen our bonds and let them touch me while I was naked. Hopefully that closeness would incite me to talk about other more personal things with them. Thankfully I had the perfect opportunity to work on our bonds right after lunch. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't freak out and run for the hills. Maybe.

* * *

><p>I chuffed and pushed my little brother, digging my muzzle into his side. He whined softly but obeyed and started moving forward, limping slightly. I growled lowly as I remembered who had hurt him and I suddenly craved blood. I jumped in front of Max and growled lowly. He bowed submissively and I bit down on his neck lightly, telling him to stay here or else. He whined softly, but when I pulled away, he stayed down.<p>

My mate suddenly appeared from the bushes beside us and came to greet me, licking my face and then nuzzling my neck. I nuzzled him back with a soft purr and then pulled away. I looked from my mate to my wounded brother on the ground and Reese instantly knew what we had to do. We waited for the rest of our Pack to arrive, including another wounded wolf who Reese forced down beside Max just as I had done. When Nick and Antonio arrived, my mate and I set off with Antonio while Nick stayed to guard the wounded wolves.

We hunted down a stag that put up a fierce battle, though not fierce enough for three vicious wolves. Once Antonio had ripped out its throat he set off to get the others while Reese and I guarded the food. Reese tried to push me to eat while we waited, but one bite from me made him back off. I would not eat first. My hurt brothers would.

As soon as our Pack arrived, I ran forward and pushed Max towards the food. He gave into my shoving and ate, as did Noah who had been pushed and shoved over to the food by Reese. Nick and Antonio ate as well, but I knew that there wouldn't be enough food for all of us so I turned around, intending to go looking for more food when I realized that my mate was nowhere to be found. I growled lowly and paced around the clearing we were in and found his scent leading out of the glade. I whined and pawed at the ground, wanting to go after my mate, but a growl from Antonio told me that was a bad idea. I couldn't disobey the better wolf, not in this form.

A paced anxiously, whining and growling, between the two trees where Reese's scent disappeared. My family had almost finished with their food by the time my mate returned. He appeared from the other side of the clearing and as soon as I heard him coming I pounced on him, ignoring the food in his mouth and bit down hard on his neck. He whined softly and I knew that he understood my message. _Do that again and there will be hell to pay. _

I let my mate up and he stood, giving my face a lick before bending down and pushing the dead bunny towards me with his muzzle. I whined softly, giving his face a lick before lowering myself and digging into the food my mate had brought me. He lied down beside me and I pushed the food between us with my paw. He ignored me and the food and kept his gaze on the trees before us until I growled lowly. He looked at me and I pushed the food further towards him with my muzzle now and he gave in.

Once we'd finished eating we moved to a nearby clearing and started cleaning each other. Normally I cleaned my mate and he cleaned me, but our brothers needed more attention today. I went over to Noah and cleaned him as he whined lowly and lied down so he didn't put any weight on his wounded leg. He and Max had needed to Change and with four legs instead of two it was easier to walk but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. I finished cleaning Noah and he tried to clean me too, but I growled deeply at him and he instantly backed down to the ground.

I waited for my mate to finish with Max and watched as Antonio held Nick down while he cleaned him. As soon as Reese had cleaned Max he came over to me and licked the blood and goo off my face and I did the same for him. Once we were all clean we huddled in the centre of the clearing. The wounded lied in the middle with me and Reese on either side of them while Antonio covered their heads and Nick covered us from behind. Despite the absence of my mate's presence beside me I was asleep within moments.

* * *

><p>I breathed in deeply, receiving a full blast of Noah's scent, just realizing that the body I was pressed against was not my mate's. I took another deep breath and forced calm into my body. I can do this. It's just Noah, your brother. He's seen you naked a hundred times before and held you another thousand times, the only difference is that now you're naked.<p>

I forced myself to stay still and opened my eyes to find myself face to face with Noah. He had his eyes closed and his breathing was even. Okay, I can do this. Slowly so I wouldn't wake him, I backed up and sat up. I looked over at my mate to see that he was awake. He looked at me curiously, but I just smiled and leaned over to Noah. He jumped as my hands attacked his sides and burst into a fit of laughter, waking everyone around us.

Noah started to pull away from my grip so I jumped on top of him, straddling his sides as I tickled them. I caught a look of surprise through his laughter but it soon disappeared as I continued my onslaught. I was suddenly pulled off of him, Nick's scent engulfing me as I came into contact with another warm body. I caught sight of my mate being held down by Antonio as Max tickled him with his good arm before Noah stepped in front of me and started tickling me while Nick held me from behind. I ignored Nick's instrument as I struggled against him while my brother attacked me, or tried to at least.

Eventually they let me go and I rescued my mate from his attackers. Once he was up we started making our way back to the house with our family. Antonio came over to me and wrapped me in a bear hug, kissing my hair lightly as he murmured that he was proud if me. When he pulled back, I shot him a smile and took my mate's hand beside me. Reese gave me a worried look, but I just grinned.

"I'm okay, _amor_," I said, giving his hand a light squeeze. He accepted my words with a smile and a soft kiss on the cheek. I took a deep breath and then let go of my mate. I tip toed quickly over to Nick who had his back to me and was talking to Noah as they walked down the path. I wasn't done playing. Noah saw me just in time and was able to get out of the way as I tumbled to the ground with Nick, another tickle fest ensuing.


	31. Ch 31 Perfect

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled ****Strong Part 1.**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous, It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1, Unacceptable, _and _Protective.

**Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars**

Oh, her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining  
>Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her trying<br>She's so beautiful  
>And I tell her everyday<p>

Yeah, I know, I know when I compliment her she won't believe me  
>And its so, its so sad to think that she don't see what I see<br>But every time she asks me do I look okay, I say

When I see your face  
>there's not a thing that I would change<br>'Cause you're amazing  
>Just the way you are<p>

And when you smile  
>The whole world stops and stares for awhile<br>'Cause girl you're amazing  
>Just the way you are<p>

Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she let me  
>Her laugh, her laugh, she hates but I think its so sexy<br>She's so beautiful  
>And I tell her everyday<p>

Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change  
>If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same<br>So don't even bother asking if you look okay  
>You know I'll say<p>

When I see your face  
>There's not a thing that I would change<br>'Cause you're amazing  
>Just the way you are<p>

And when you smile  
>The whole world stops and stares for awhile<br>'Cause girl you're amazing  
>Just the way you are<p>

Ch 31 Perfect

Kim POV

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I should have done this before and I mean way before, but I hadn't had the guts to do it. I still wasn't sure if I could do this but I wanted a real relationship with my father and this was something we just had to talk about, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation may be. I heard Antonio's voice tell me to come in and I took another deep breath before opening the door.

Antonio was at his desk working but when he saw who it was he got up with a smile and a soft, "Princess." I strode over to him and gave him a hug he returned. When we pulled away, I bit my lip and thought about how best to do this.

"Dad, I…I wanted to talk to you about something." Antonio smiled when I called him dad and his eyes warmed so much that it made me smile too. He gestured towards the couch and I walked over to it with his hand on my shoulder while I tried to keep my fingers still to no avail. I was just too nervous.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked worriedly once we'd sat down. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my flaring nerves but it was pointless. I'd just never had to do this before and I honestly had no idea how to do it.

"I know I should have talked to you about this a while back but I just didn't know how or if I should," I murmured, staring down at my lap. When I had to fight for dominance I had no problem in making myself heard and keeping eye contact, but when it came to my emotions, I couldn't help but look away. I didn't do it on purpose but I knew I had to get over hiding my feelings. I knew no one would judge me because of them, but old habits die hard and this habit was very, very old.

"I wanted to know if it's okay with you for me and Reese to be together," I said softly and looked up to watch my father's reaction. Surprise lit up his face for a moment and then concern took over. I bit my lip and made to look away, but Antonio took my head in his hands and forced my gaze back to him. He, like every one else, knew how hard this habit was drilled into me, but my family was helping me overcome it.

"Sweetheart," he said gently, stroking my cheek. "Of course I'm okay with it. I've been expecting it from the moment you met," he said with a smile. I blinked, suddenly taken aback. Had my feelings for Reese been so obvious that even Antonio had noticed? Antonio chuckled at the expression on my face and abruptly pulled me to him for a bear hug.

"Princess, I knew that you and Reese were meant to be together from the moment I saw your faces when Elena introduced you. I knew that your wolf had mated you to Reese long before you and Reese did," he said as he rubbed circles into my back. I closed my eyes and smiled. Antonio had known me better than anyone back then and still did, but I knew him as well.

"And you're okay with it? You're not worried?" I whispered. If there was one thing I knew about my dad it was that he always worried, always. He was just a very loving and caring father. I pulled away from Antonio and looked into his chocolate brown eyes. "I mean, you're not afraid that he might hurt me?" Stupid question since I knew better than anyone that Reese would never hurt me, but I also knew that it was something that fathers tended to worry about and from the look on Antonio's face it applied to him as well.

"I've known Reese for a long time, princess, and I know that he's a good man. He promised me that he would rather die than hurt you," he said gently. I didn't call him on the fact that he hadn't really answered my question but I guess as my father he had every right to worry. I just hope he didn't worry too much. I leaned forward and gave him another hug.

"Love you, dad," I said and pulled away. There was something else I wanted to ask but I had no idea how to ask it. What if he didn't want me to do it? I bit my lip and looked away again. I took a deep breath and took the plunge. "I wanted to ask you if you think I could take on the Sorrentino name," I said softly, hiding my face with my hair. I was met with silence as a dozen emotions washed over me, though they weren't mine, they were Antonio's. "I just…I don't want anything to tie me to my family anymore," I hurried to add, "and this is my family now, but if you don't want me to then—" My next words were stifled when Antonio's strong and muscled arms were wrapped around me, pulling me to his firm body.

"I would have it no other way, _principessa,_" he murmured and I could hear the joy in his voice. Tears built up in my eyes and I let them fall. I had had no idea if Antonio would accept my request but now I knew that I had been stupid to even think that he would say no.

Some time later I emerged form my father's study. We had spent the last hour making arrangements for the name change. We would do it legally even though the Pack could easily give me all the papers I needed without ever going through all the required paperwork, but it was better this way. I no longer wanted to be linked to my father or my mother or any other person that I left behind when I was turned. I was still thinking about contacting my sister but I would wait on that for now. I wasn't even sure if she wanted to know anything about me but I had other things to worry about for now.

As soon as I finished with Antonio I went upstairs to have a shower and then I needed to get ready. It was a school night, but Abbey was leaving in a few days and I wanted to take advantage of all the time I had with her. Plus, Antonio had lifted the punishment for my lying to him about Max's bullying because he knew how important Abbey was to me, though I'd have to finish it once she'd left.

I stepped out of the shower a while later and walked into my room with a towel wrapped around me, going straight to my walk-in wardrobe. I had just finished clasping my bra on when the door to my bedroom opened. I peeked out the wardrobe's door and saw Reese. "Honestly, you may as well move in," I muttered under my breath and went back over to the dress and shoes, slipping into the fabric.

"Do you want me to move in?" I heard from behind me. I spun around, seeing Reese in the doorway with a passive expression on his face and I was too far away to smell what he was feeling. I bit my lip and instantly looked away. Technically this was my room, but we both slept here and Reese even had some clothing in the wardrobe, but I honestly didn't know if moving in was the best thing to do, not yet at least. We still had a lot to work through and that could wait for now. Besides, it was a huge step in a relationship and a very important one, so I knew we needed to take it slowly.

"Not yet," I said and looked up to meet his eye. "Just give me time." God, how many more times was I going to say that? He had given me more than enough time and I really couldn't understand at times how he hadn't told me to take a hike. I guess the fact that he loved me and was mated to me helped.

Reese nodded and brushed a hand through his hair, looking a little frustrated. "I know, _amor_. Whenever you're ready." And how many more times would he have to say that before I was actually ready? I mean, how would I even know when I was ready? I felt like I was, my body felt like it was and I honestly had no freaking idea what was holding me back. Yes, I was afraid about not being able to satisfy Reese entirely and then about the whole relationship thing, but I loved Reese and I knew that our being mated to each other meant that we would always be together—I think and hope so at least—and I accepted what my wolf had done. I understood why my wolf had mated me to Reese—he was strong, smart and brave, a worthy mate and a powerful protector, though I could hold my own, but Reese was my protector as I was his. I knew that every fear that I still had to work through could only be overcome after I accepted my relationship with Reese and I mean really accepted it, sex and all.

"So, how'd it go?" Reese asked, forcing me out of my thoughts. I smiled at him and went over to him, falling into his arms which he instantly wrapped around me. We spent every day together and a lot of our time at home together and still we never had enough of each other.

"I'll be a Sorrentino by the end of the month," I told his chest. I hadn't told him the other reason I'd wanted to talk to Antonio, but from what Antonio had said I got the feeling that he had already spoken to Reese about our being together. I'd rather not know what they talked about though. From the look on Antonio's face I can guess that it hadn't been an entirely friendly conversation.

"Told you," he said against my shoulder and pulled back gently to smile down at me. His hands held on tightly to my waist and mine held on firmly to his neck. I stared into his deep blue eyes with longing. God, why couldn't I just say yes? I wanted to, I so wanted to. Everything that had held me back was all falling apart, leaving only the fears that could be overcome with time and patience. Maybe I was ready then.

Gingerly I fingered through his hair. As if on cue, he leaned down and kissed me. I kissed him back hungrily, losing myself to him and moaned softly as Reese bent down to my neck. The fact that Reese had a lot of experience didn't bother me as much as I knew it should. He had had a lot of lovers and girlfriends in the past but he was mine now and mine alone. Now his experience merely served him so he could pleasure me and pleasure me he did.

Reese pulled away and I sought out his lips, giving him a bruising kiss. He groaned into the kiss and I was suddenly lifted into the air and the next thing I knew I was up against the wall. I felt him harden against me as I wrapped my legs around him, deepening the kiss even more. I felt one of his hands crawl up my thigh and I pushed my hips against him, giving him a clue to what I wanted, though deep down I knew that we didn't have time.

"Kim," he moaned, breaking the kiss, but I just pulled him back for more. "I'm sorry. I can't…I won't push—" he tried to say, but I was unrelenting. I knew what I wanted. I was ready and I knew it.

"I want you to push," I whispered, breaking the kiss for only a second before kissing him hard enough to leave him gasping for air within seconds. It took him about a minute to process my words and then his tongue aborted its exploration and he pulled away. I opened my eyes and stared into his eyes that were now dark with arousal. He stared at me as I breathed heavily and gripped his hair as I waited for him to make a move.

"Are you sure?" he murmured, not taking his eyes off of mine, his breathing coming hard and fast.

"Completely," I said without missing a beat and leaned forward. He hesitated slightly as I brought my lips down on his but almost immediately his body relaxed and he let me in, pushing me back harder against the wall. His arousal grew tenfold, as did mine. This is it, I'm ready.

Being up against the wall did not seem like a good idea for our first time, so without breaking the kiss and with my legs still wrapped around him Reese took us to the bed. We fell onto it, already pulling and yanking at our clothing. I heard something rip and then felt as his shirt came off easily when I yanked. I couldn't even bring up the urge to care as I let my hands trail down his chest and started undoing his pants. My dress was still intact, but Reese had hefted it up to my waist and just as I undid his zipper, he slipped a hand into my panties and started teasing me below. I moaned and arched up against him. My hands started trembling as I pushed his jeans down while our kiss had me gasping for air.

A knock on the door had us both growling, though we both dutifully ignored it, but it was impossible to ignore the door opening. Roughly, I pushed Reese back and sat up, pulling my dress down and growling at the person who had dared to interrupt. Max. I heard another deep growl from beside me that instantly cleared my mind. I closed my eyes then and took a deep breath through my mouth so as to not inhale our arousal and then opened them to see Max looking steadfastly at the floor. Smart wolf.

"Max," I said gently, forcing calm into my body, something I was much better at than my mate. I could still smell the irritation coming off of him. Maybe I should have given him the green light when we didn't need to go out or when we couldn't be interrupted. Whoops. "What do you need, sweetheart?" I asked as I slid off the bed, going over to him. Only now did he look up at me and I gave him a reassuring smile to let him know that I wasn't angry. Embarrassed was more like. I might start talking to him about my sex life but I was so not going to let him see me actually, you know, that was just…gross.

"Noah just wanted me to ask if you guys were ready," he murmured, dropping his gaze submissively. Poor guy. He had a bad tendency to interrupt Reese and me much too often for his own good. I'm pretty sure Reese's wolf was shooting him warning looks from behind me for interrupting us when I'd given him the okay for him to claim me. Double whoops. Bad timing on my behalf, not my brother's though.

"Yep, tell him we'll be ready in five minutes," I said and turned around, going straight to the bathroom. I heard Reese growl something and then heard my brother all but run from my room. I rolled my eyes at myself in the mirror but I knew that Reese was just frustrated. He'd been frustrated for the past three months, so I couldn't blame him for growling and glaring a bit. I wanted to do that too, but it wasn't Max's fault I hadn't given my mate the all clear before. I should have, though. I'd been ready from the beginning I think, but I had just been too afraid. I still was, but both Reese and I needed this. We were bound to go crazy if it didn't happen soon.

I pulled out the hair drier and started it up as I finger brushed my recently cut hair. I hadn't cut it much, though it was still able to almost completely cover my breasts. I had always worn my hair long, no matter what the trends said, the same went for my clothes. I'd tried to fit in once when I first arrived to the States but then just gave up. It was pointless to try to be someone I wasn't. Besides, my trying to be just like everyone else made the bullying worsen, earning me the title of "freak." Right now all I wanted was to go back to the school, walk right up the head cheerleader Ashley Baker and say "freak and proud, bitch." It would be all for nothing, though, since people like that rarely changed. Mark is a clear example of this.

I turned off the drier and applied some gel, brushing my hand through my hair to work through the tangles as a voice said, "You look sexy tonight." I jumped and turned to see Nick in the doorway. I flushed and muttered a thank you, turning back to the mirror to apply some light make-up. Suddenly a hand came up and stopped mine as I lifted it to apply some mascara. "Let me rephrase that," Nick said and gently pulled the small brush out of my hand, "you are sexy." My blush deepened as Nick put the mascara down and came to stand behind me so he could look at me through the mirror. I looked away and bit my lip.

"Hun," he said as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about and now may not be the best of times, but we need to talk about it." I looked up into the mirror to see that his perpetual smile had been replaced by a dead serious look.

"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning at him through the mirror. Nick was rarely this serious and when he was, it was never good. I leaned back into him and felt him take in a deep breath.

"I wanted to talk about your eating and body image problems," he said quietly. I sucked in my breath and instantly looked away from his gaze in the mirror. I didn't want to talk about that, not anymore. It was hard enough to talk about it so everyone could accept me for who I was but no more.

"You've had other things on your mind this last week and a half, but Abbey's leaving soon and I want you to consider talking to someone." My head shot up to stare at him. He couldn't be serious. "I know you say that you're over most of it and that you no longer overeat, but Antonio and I believe that maybe you should talk to someone, Cooper if you want."

"I'm fine, Nick," I said firmly and made to pull away from his grip, but he held me tightly. I wasn't going anywhere it seems.

"I know, sweetie, and we're so proud of you. You don't know how happy it makes us to know that we helped you through this, that because of us you no longer do that to yourself and you now think you're beautiful. You _are_ beautiful, Kim," he said, gripping me tightly when I made to argue his point. I couldn't be as beautiful as he or my brothers said since their opinion was obviously biased. "We don't want these problems to ever come back, Kim, and we both know that they can. We will love you to the end of our days, sweetheart, and nothing will ever change that. We want you to be happy with what and who you are every day of your life, not just right now." My throat closed up suddenly and my eyes watered uncontrollably at his words. Thankfully I hadn't applied the make-up yet.

"You're so beautiful, hun, and you just don't know it. Whatever those idiots told you in school it's not true. People like that are the reason why there are so many beautiful people out there and they just don't know it, but we're here to tell you. You're gorgeous, you have an amazing body most girls would kill for and you're just simply amazing. And I'm proud to have you as my little sister." Tears poured from my eyes now and I started hiccupping as I tried to hold in my breakdown but I couldn't. Everything he had just said could be summed down to the three words on my wrist. "Love is louder." It didn't matter what everyone else thought of me, what did it matter? The only thing that should ever matter is what the people I loved thought of me and they thought I was beautiful.

"Thank you," I croaked and wiped away some of the tears, just realizing how badly I had needed to hear those words. Reese thought that I was perfect and I guess I was for him, his perfect mate like he was to me, but Nick's words reached me to my very core. Besides, I'd heard those words before, though they hadn't been directed at me. They'd been said by my inspiration, Demi Lovato, who had been through hell because of her bullying and her image problems and was also one of the people involved in the Love is Louder movement. She'd needed help and gotten it and now she was well on the road to recovery from her anorexia, bulimia, self-harming, etc. I was okay now but I knew that Nick was right. If I was depressed enough, the problems could come back.

"I'll…I'll think about it," I murmured and turned in his arms to hug him. He hugged me tightly against him and I heard heavy footsteps in the doorway. I swivelled my head to see my mate there. He looked worriedly at me and my reassuring smile didn't help at all.

I pulled away from my older brother and he leaned down, pecking me on the lips. I flushed and heard my mate growl lowly in warning but I just shook my head. This was just Nick being Nick and nothing was ever going to change him, so my mate may as well get used to it. But I suppose that once I was his, really his, he would stop worrying about Nick's closeness with me. Or not.

Nick left then, patting my mate on the shoulder on his way out and telling me that if I put any make-up on that wasn't lip gloss I wasn't going out. As soon as Nick was out of my gigantic bathroom, Reese came over to claim me. Well, claim me as best he could with our clothes still on. Even if it was just Nick that had kissed me lightly, he still felt the need to reclaim his territory, marking me as his and imprinting his scent on me.

"We need to go," I gasped, breaking the kiss and pulling away. As much as I would love to stay here and spend the night with my mate, Abbey was waiting for us and I knew that I had to take advantage of the time I had with her while I could.

Reese groaned and leaned down to nuzzle my neck, his arms wrapped around my waist pulling me closer to him. I let my fingers wander through his hair and suddenly realized that he had a shirt on, but it wasn't the one he had been wearing before. Then I remembered. Whoops.

"Sorry about the shirt," I murmured and buried my head into his chest, suddenly embarrassed. I hadn't meant to do it but having werewolf strength and being aroused was not a good mix it seems.

"Don't be. I was one step away from doing the same to your dress," he said softly. I smiled slightly and then pulled away from him, taking his hand in mine and leading him out of the bathroom. "Wait," he said and gently tugged on my hand, pulling me to a stop before walking out my door. "You do know that I think you're beautiful, don't you? That you're perfect just the way you are?" I could see in his eyes that he was really worried. I lifted a hand and touched his cheek softly.

"I know, _amor_, but sometimes I just need it repeated to reassure myself," I said, holding his gaze. He looked hurt for a moment and then determination gleamed through his eyes.

"Then I'll tell you every second of everyday for the rest of our lives just how beautiful and perfect you are and just how much I love you," he growled softly and bent down to kiss me. I felt in his kiss that he was worried and I vowed to make that worry go away. He didn't need to worry about me, not about this at least, I was fine.

"Come on," I whispered and took his hand again, getting us finally out the door. We grabbed Noah and once Nick had made sure I didn't have any make-up on we were off.

It was an amazing evening, as most of our outings with Abbey were, though this was our first double date—and mine. We ate at an Italian restaurant in the City and my brothers and I ate like civilized people for once since we'd eaten a large meal before going out. Werewolves need a lot of food after all. Abbey and Noah sat in front of me and Reese as we ate, probably not the best idea since Reese could not keep his hands off of me. Maybe it was his way to reassure me that he wanted and loved me or maybe he was just impatient to get me home and claim me. Either way his teasing had me practically begging for the bill when the time came.

"You sure you guys don't want to go grab a drink or something?" Abbey asked as we exited the restaurant and started heading towards the care. Reese's grip was suddenly tighter at Abbey's words and I knew that we both thought the same thing. Now that I was ready neither of us wanted to wait any longer.

"I've got lessons tomorrow, Reese has school and work and Noah too. But don't worry. I promise we can party all you want after Friday's concert," I said and sent a grin back to her as she held onto Noah' hand. She grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

We reached the entrance to the underground parking lot and told Abbey and Noah to wait up here for us. It was late but there were still a lot of people on the streets and we doubted that Turner had somehow followed us all the way to New York since it seemed like he was staying somewhere in the Catskills. We left my friend and our brother to say goodbye to each other while we brought the car around. By the time we got back to where we'd left them, they were gone.

Reese growled lowly and I knew it was more out of impatience than worry. I patted his thigh lightly and took a look around. "Looks like the might have detoured through the alley," I murmured. If all they wanted was a quickie, then I guess the alley would do. I'd talk to my brother about romantic gestures later, though I was pretty sure that the idea might have been Abbey's.

"I'm going to cheek on them," Reese said after about a minute. I rolled my eyes but followed him out of the car to make sure he didn't interrupt them. We followed their scent—and the smell of their arousal—to the mouth of the alley where we could hear them because of our werewolf hearing.

I took Reese's hand then and started pulling him back to the car before he figured that the alley would be good for us too, when a scream erupted from within the alley's darkness. It wasn't a scream of pleasure, we could hear the notes of fear, and I also knew whose scream it was. Abbey's.

I started running towards the sounds of fear without thinking and heard my mate close beside me. It took a moment for our night vision to kick in as we entered the darkness of the alley but before it did I heard my friend shriek, "Leave him alone." Fear shot through me at the fear in Abbey's voice which doubled when I saw Turner punch my brother in the jaw, sending him to the ground. He then grabbed my friend from around the throat, lifting her off her feet, choking her.

"No," I screamed and ran faster. Turner glanced our way, surprise and rage lighting his face. He instantly threw Abbey against the wall and then spun around and ran. No! As I reached my brother and Abbey's prone forms, I didn't even slow down and started to follow Turner down the long alley but I was pulled from behind.

"No, Kim," my mate's voice growled into my ear as he pulled me against his body. I growled deeply, but Reese just pulled me closer to him. I took a deep breath then and inhaled everything within a ten foot radius. The garbage that was piled up against the wall and stank as if it had been there for days, the stink of my friend's fear and the smell of Noah's adrenaline. And my mate's scent. Slowly I relaxed in my mate's arms and realized that I could also pick up my mate's anger. He wanted to go after Turner too, but we couldn't.

"Okay," I said when I trusted myself enough to not run head long into the darkness once I was free. My mate loosened his grip on me and I pulled away and spun around to see Noah on the ground a few feet away from us with Abbey just beside him, both of them unconscious. I took a deep breath through my mouth and strode over.

Abbey had a nasty cut on her cheek but she was mostly fine and would be awake once her brain recovered from the blow. Reese attended to her while I checked on our brother. As soon as I found the reason for his black out which was oozing onto the ground below him I swore furiously and picked him up, not caring if anyone saw me pick up someone much bigger than me. I ordered Reese to grab Abbey and then we ran back to the car.

I flung the door open and practically flew in with Noah in my arms. Reese gently laid Abbey in the front passenger seat, buckling her in and then extracted the first aid kit from the trunk. He handed the industrialized kit to me and then hopped into the car, driving us as quickly as possible from the area while Abbey moaned and whimpered and I cleaned Noah's cut on his head. It wasn't very deep but it needed a few stitches. Once I'd put the skin together it would heal on its own and Noah would regain consciousness within the next hour or two. My brother's wrist which had been almost completely healed, though I'd still made him wear a bandage, was broken once more and worse than it had been last time. The deformation was clearly visible under the bandage which I didn't dare to undo in case I did more damage.

Reese parked us somewhere near my music academy and got a flashlight out, pointing it towards Noah's head so I could stitch him up. I had never stitched anyone up, EMTs in Spain aren't qualified to do so, but the nurses I'd worked with had showed me how to do it and thank goodness. Despite the anger and fear that threatened to take over, my hand was steady and I was able to stitch my brother up without any difficulties. I had to cut some of his hair off though, and I'm sure that once he came to he would not be very happy about it, but oh well.

I bandaged Noah's arm to his body so it wouldn't move until we got him to the doctor. Werewolves can't go to doctors or to the hospital in case they took blood and such, but the Sorrentino family had found one that they paid well enough that he didn't ask any questions. Noah's wrist was broken, probably in two or three places, so it was beyond anything I could do to help.

I moved to the front, swapping places with Reese, and cleaned Abbey's wound and was just checking her over when she came to. She groaned and then gasped. Her eyes flew open and the stink of fear instantly filled the car. I took a hold of her head and held it so she could look at me and only let go when she had calmed down. "Noah," she said and turned her head around to look at the back seat. "Noah," she screamed, making Reese and me wince.

Abbey tried to go back to him, but I held her down, telling her that he was fine. I told her that I was taking her home so we could take him to a private clinic we went to, but she downright refused. Damn my stubborn friend. "You have a concussion, Abbey. You need to go home. Don't make me call your mum," I warned. It was a below the belt blow and I knew it but it worked. She grudgingly gave me her aunt's number so I could call them and tell them what to do with Abbey and then I took her home.

She was crying by the time we got to her building and bruises were starting to appear around her neck. I felt bad for making her go, but she couldn't come with us. We were going straight to the doctor's house and she could not come. Thankfully her aunt and uncle were waiting for her on the street, so I didn't have to force her out of the car, they did it for me.

"Thank you, hun," Abbey's aunt said with a small smile and then closed the door. I waited for them to be inside the building before I took off. Reese told me to pull over and that he would drive, but I ignored him. Driving fast helped to let go of some of my anger and fear, but I didn't drive fast enough to risk our lives. I called Antonio and told him what happened as quickly as I could and told him where we were going. He hang up with a curt, "Hurry."

When we reached the town near our home, I realized that maybe I should have let Reese drive since I had no idea where we were going. It didn't matter, though, and Reese just indicated where I had to go. Our family was already there when we arrived, including Clay and Elena. We all hurried inside while Clay carried Noah into the doctor's home. It was more like a private clinic honestly. He even had a waiting room. Of course private clinics don't get paid under the table.

While Antonio went into the doc's operation room with Noah, the rest of us waited in the waiting room. Reese informed Clay and Elena of what happened and then they both stepped out to call Jeremy. I curled up into my mate with Max snuggling into my side, the smell of his anxiety rolling off of him in waves. I made myself stay calm for him and rubbed circles into his back. If I was calm, he was calm. It worked and before Antonio came out he was asleep against me. Max's injured arm was still wrapped tightly against his body just how it would stay until Sunday at the very least.

Inevitable guilt filled me as I thought of what had happened. We should not have left them alone, even if we had been in the City. Guilt soon turned to anger and rage which made my mate grip me tighter against him. Turner had to die and soon was not good enough. He needed to die now. He had hurt my brothers twice now and Abbey as well. No more. I would not let him hurt anyone else I cared about.

"That's it," I whispered into the silence. Nick looked at me as if I was crazy and his gaze wandered over to Clay and Elena who had just come back inside. I looked at them as I spoke now. "He wants me but he can't get me since I'm always guarded so he's trying to get me to go to him, knowing that I'll go after him if he takes one of my brothers." He'd seen how protective I was of them when he first attacked us and was now using it against me. Bastard but smart bastard nonetheless.

"That's our conclusion as well," Elena said and nodded towards me. "So I've decided that Noah and Max will be taken to Stonehaven until we catch this mutt." 'Decided' was the key word in that sentence. She was the Alpha elect and would be Alpha soon, so whatever she decided could not be argued. Well, it could be but she made the final decision and no one could go against it without suffering the consequences. Besides, I completely agreed with her. Taking my brothers—the weakest of the Pack—out of the line of fire was the best idea right then since Turner had targeted them.

It was late by the time Antonio emerged with Noah in his arms. He had been given a sedative so he wouldn't wake while the doctor treated him so he would be out for a few hours. As soon as we got home, I helped Max pack his bags while Reese and Nick packed Noah's. Max was not happy at all about being taking out of action but he was wounded and after I told him that I was afraid for him he gave in. Yes, I can be manipulative if I want to and Max would forgive me since I was only doing it to protect him and Noah.

They left later that night, or early morning, with Clay and Elena. The sooner they were out of danger, the better. Noah was still unconscious when they left and I knew he would not be happy when he woke up, but I'd talk to him tomorrow and he could talk to Abbey on Friday. They were coming back up for my performance since the Pack would all be here for that, including Karl and Hope.

"They'll be okay," my mate murmured as we lay in bed a couple of hours before dawn. Saying goodbye to my brother had been more painful than I had expected, even if it was just a temporary goodbye.

"I know," I whispered into his chest. I breathed in deeply, allowing his scent to fill me and calm me from within. I knew my brothers would be okay with the Alpha and his mate but I still worried. I had no idea to what lengths Turner was willing to go to get to me. Hopefully he would be caught before he realized that Noah and Max had been taken to the Alpha's house. Still, I had no idea if he was crazy enough to even try to take them while they were there. I'm sure Jeremy would kill him before he had even made it through the front door.

I fell into uneasy sleep that night and I was tempted to just stay home but I couldn't. The performance was only a few days away and I still had a lot of work to do. Antonio drove me to the academy that morning and got out of the car to talk with Addison, giving him the run down of what had happened last night and just how important it was for him to glue himself to me now more than ever. Antonio also warned him of what would happen if he didn't. The warning wasn't explicit but it could be understood through the menace in his voice and the wolf that shone in his eyes. To Addison's credit he didn't even blink but maybe he was just more worried about his mate than having his head ripped off by a vicious werewolf. Once the performance was over he would be joining Max at Stonehaven and I would stop coming to the academy until Turner was taken care of. The situation was starting to get on my nerves. Well, and on everyone else's.

I called Abbey about as often as I called Antonio that day and by lunch time she was threatening to turn her phone off if I didn't stop calling her. She said she was fine and that all she wanted was to see Noah. Luckily I had a tough friend and though she'd been scared last night, today she was ready to storm Bastille. She swore repeatedly that she'd kill Turner if she ever saw him again. Of course I hadn't told her that we'd known the guy that attacked them.

Abbey and Noah already spoken and from what I knew he was her hero and rightly so. My brother was brave, so brave and I loved him so much. I'd spoken with him too and had told him exactly that. He'd apologized for being an idiot and for taking Abbey into the alley. I argued with both statements since I knew that Abbey was the one that had taken him into it and that he was most certainly not an idiot, anything but. He tried to argue, but I just threatened to castrate him if he ever called himself stupid or idiot again and that shut him up. Castration always seems to let me have my way and good thing too.

Reese picked me up that day and the moment we got home I collapsed on the bed. I was just so tired. I'd only slept for a few hours and I was exhausted. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p>The keys flew beneath my fingers as I played <em>Just a Kiss<em> by Lady Antebellum. It reminded me so much of how things had been between Reese and me before the whole Mark incident. I hadn't really been expecting anything to happen between us, but he had so the song was more from his point of view than mine, but what I had felt was the same. Everything had seemed so perfect when I'd been with him, my feelings for him growing stronger and stronger with each passing day, and now here we were.

I heard the door to the music room open and I glanced up to see my mate walk in, his hair all ruffled from the pillows, giving him a very sexy look. He'd been asleep when I'd woken up so I'd left him there. He had slept even less than I had last night because he had been stressing over my protection as much as the boys'.

Reese strode over to the piano seat and sat beside me, silently accompanying me. I finished playing and instantly leaned against him as he wrapped an arm around me, his touch soothing me better than my music for once. We sat in silence for a while, just listening to each other's heartbeats and breathing until we heard the sound of pots clattering and cutlery clinking. Without a word Reese led me out of the room and straight to the kitchen where Antonio and Nick were making dinner.

I silently munched on a snack that Nick had made me and stared at the scene before me. It felt so empty, so wrong. My brothers were nowhere in sight and had not been heard since last night. The house felt cold and empty without their laughter and the sound of their bickering and tumbling when they started up a tickle fest or wrestling match. I just hoped Turner was caught before I missed my brothers so much I went out looking for Turner myself, something that Antonio had forbidden after sensing my guilt last night.

"Sweetheart," I heard Antonio say from behind me. I turned to see him in the games room doorway. I'd been staring at the room for a while now, just absorbing the absence that had been left behind by my brothers. He had a worried expression on his face and I can imagine why if he'd been watching me for a while. I could feel the tears rolling down my face as I looked at him. I dropped the PS3 controller on the couch and strode over to him, hugging him fiercely.

"I just miss them so much, dad," I said into his chest.

"Me too, princess," he whispered as he rubbed circles into my back. I had never been so far away from them and the distance was really starting to get to me, as was the emptiness of the mansion and it had been less than a day. I wished they were here with me but I knew that they were safer with the Alpha in his house and that's what mattered.

Reese POV

"Okay, that's the last of them. You can go," I said and stood, turning to look at Nick. He grinned over from his candle and stood as well.

"No need to get impatient, mate," he said with a wink. I rolled my eyes and shooed him out of Kim's room, well, our room, I don't know. We both slept here, but it wasn't officially _our_ room. It would be, one day it would be. Kim was going to be a Sorrentino and would live in the Sorrentino household, not in the guest house. Besides, after tonight this room would hold very special memories for both of us.

I wandered over to the bed and laid down the things I wanted her to find. I'll admit I was nervous, almost about as nervous as I was before my first time. Of course mine wasn't as romantic as Kim's was about to be. Kim loved everything romantic and I proved it on Valentine's Day and now I would do it again.

I went back over to the door and leaned against the wall beside it, so when Kim walked in she wouldn't see me. Yesterday I'd almost taken her when she had given me the okay and I'd been pissed when we were interrupted but I wasn't anymore. Kim's first time needed to be special and I'd needed time to think about what I was doing. Every time Kim and I started up I was always leading, Kim had done it once or twice, but it was mostly me that set the pace. I knew she liked it like that or she would have said something, but it was still odd for me at times to be the one doing all the yanking and pulling, though Kim did her fair share of it too.

I heard light footsteps start coming down the hall and grinned as my wolf started prowling. I was finally going to claim my Kim.

Kim POV

I opened the door to my room and froze with the doorknob still in my hand. The blinds had been lowered and the room was almost in total darkness except for a dozen or so candles that filled the room, all on the floor, bordering the walls. Small clusters of roses sat around the room as well, giving the air a sweet scent, though I could pick up both my mate's and Nick's scent in here. I stepped into the room, the door closing softly behind me, and strode over to the bed, just realizing that rose petals were sprinkled all over the floor. On the bed I found a heart-shaped box of chocolates with a single red rose over it and a handwritten note with the words "I love you" on it.

"I love you," I heard whispered behind me and I jumped and spun around, almost falling back onto the bed, but Reese caught me in time. I stared up at him into his deep blue gaze, falling into it. "I love you just the way you are, _amor_, and nothing and no one will ever change that. You are perfect to me," he murmured as he caressed my cheek. My breath caught and my throat closed up suddenly but before I could so much as blink, he bent down and kissed me.

I dropped the note that I'd picked up and let my hands find their way up to his neck. I felt his hands slowly wrap around me just as he deepened the kiss. My mind turned to mush as he entered my mouth and fireworks exploded between us. I moaned softly and pressed myself against him, the kiss suddenly going from passionate to hungry and desperate.

I let my hands trail down his chest to his jeans and undid them, my hands tingling with anticipation. As soon as his jeans were undone, he started pulling at my top, getting it off of me without barely breaking the kiss. His hands let loose over my body as I tried to undress him, but he did it for me. Once his shirt was off he started pushing me gently back to the bed. I sat back on it, shoving the chocolates to the floor as Reese started undoing my jeans, kissing me hard all the while. My jeans ended up somewhere near my dresser, Reese's somewhere near the door, and then he climbed into bed over me, his hands helping me to the middle of the bed while his lips never strayed from mine.

As he pressed against me and his lips and tongue started grazing all over my body, I felt his arousal and knew I was ready. I'd been ready for a while but I had just been so afraid, but no more. I tangled my hands in his hair as he climbed up to my lips, arching my hips up against his and making him groan. I lowered a hand and yanked at his boxers, ripping the material. Reese growled lowly, the sound making me shiver violently. He returned the favour and not even my bra was saved from our arousal.

My breathing was coming hard and fast as the last piece of clothing was shed and Reese was left naked over me. I could smell our arousal and feel my body tingling in anticipation now as Reese adjusted my body. He lied over me, his hands at either side of me, his eyes dark with arousal and I could see the wolf in the low candlelight. I wrapped my hands around his neck and he reached down, kissing me gently as he slowly slid into me.

I hissed at the slight pain his entry caused, but he quickly sealed my lips with his and I felt…complete. It was like something I hadn't even realized that had been missing from my life was suddenly put in its place and I wondered how I could ever have not realized it was gone. Reese was a part of me and I was a part of him, and the feeling only intensified with every thrust.

His lips wandered from my mouth down to my neck, intensifying the fiery storm that was building up within me. He then pulled away and watched me from above, our eyes never veering from each other's gazes. His slow thrusts eventually came harder and faster and the fiery storm threatened to take over. Suddenly the pressure within me became too much and I screamed as I went over the edge, Reese following instantly.

When it was over, Reese leaned down and nuzzled my neck, breathing deeply as I tried to catch my breath. His body rested gently over mine, the heat and sweat of his body making me shiver.

"I love you," he whispered into my neck. I closed my eyes and told him that I loved him as well as I fingered through his hair. Once our breathing had evened he slid off of me and came to rest beside me, pulling me to him as his arms wrapped around my waist. I curled up into him, breathing him in and feeling satisfied.

"Did you like it?" he asked. I pulled away gently and shifted so I could look into his eyes.

"Aren't I supposed to ask that?" I smiled. He grinned at me, but his expression told me he needed an answer. I lifted a hand to stroke his cheek and said, "Of course I liked it. Wasn't it obvious?" It had been so obvious that I'm sure that Antonio and Nick had heard, no matter where in the house they were. My mate was just that amazing. I suddenly remembered what he had told me two weeks ago and grinned wickedly at him.

"You know, I do remember you telling me that you always let the girls take the lead." I bit my lip as I saw his expression darken so I hurried to clarify my meaning. "Not that I'm complaining. I…" I took a deep breath and said what he needed to know so this could work, though I already knew it had—I could feel the bond pulsating between us, tying me to Reese beyond any physical or emotional tie. "I like it when you take control." I blushed a little at my words but I kept my eyes on my mate and watched his reaction. Surprise lit up his face and then he grinned widely.

"Good, because I like taking it," he grinned as he stroked my cheek. "But I like it when you take it as well," he said huskily. My breath hitched instantly at his words and heat burned on my cheeks.

"Um, I don't think I'm…ready for that," I murmured and lowered my gaze to his chest. His hand immediately came down and pulled my gaze up to his again.

"You're amazing, _amor_, and I know you can do it and I know I'll love it," he said gently, holding onto my chin as he spoke. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, "Do you want me to help you?" I bit my lip but held his gaze. I wasn't totally sure I could do it but if Reese wanted it, I'd do it. But first I'd check it with Cosmo.

"Not yet," I said. Reese smiled and nodded before moving closer to kiss me. I kissed him back, happiness coursing through me as I realized that everything was falling into place now. I was finally, _finally_ his and he was mine. He had marked me as his mate and the bond between us was established. We were now officially mates before the eyes of the Pack. Everything was perfect. Well, almost.


	32. Ch 32 Equals

**Fearless is the direct sequel to Unbroken, but it will not contain any spoilers so it can be ready safely without knowing the end of Unbroken. It is being published before Unbroken is finished because Kim will have her own story to tell towards the end of The Way to Live. **

* * *

><p><strong>Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled <strong>**Strong Part 2.**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous, It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

**I Won't Give Up – Jason Mraz**

When I look into your eyes  
>It's like watching the night sky<br>Or a beautiful sunrise  
>There's so much they hold<br>And just like them old stars  
>I see that you've come so far<br>To be right where you are  
>How old is your soul?<p>

I won't give up on us  
>Even if the skies get rough<br>I'm giving you all my love  
>I'm still looking up<p>

And when you're needing your space  
>To do some navigating<br>I'll be here patiently waiting  
>To see what you find<p>

'Cause even the stars they burn  
>Some even fall to the earth<br>We've got a lot to learn  
>God knows we're worth it<br>No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily  
>I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make<br>Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use  
>The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake<br>And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend  
>For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn<br>We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in  
>I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not<br>And who I am

I won't give up on us  
>Even if the skies get rough<br>I'm giving you all my love  
>I'm still looking up<br>Still looking up

Ch 32 Equals

Kim POV

"Reese," I moaned and dug my nails into the sheets beneath me. I opened my eyes to look at my mate who grinned at me, grinding slowly a few more times before slipping out. He reached down, kissing me gently on my belly, and then let go of my waist, moving to lie down beside me. "You're amazing," I breathed as his head came to rest next to mine and I swung my gaze to him.

"So are you," he murmured, raising a hand to stroke my cheek. I closed my eyes and shifted my body towards him, leaning into his chest. He wrapped his arms firmly around me as if fearing to ever let me go.

We hadn't been at it all night, not in the least. After bonding we were still exhausted from our lack of sleep so we'd fallen asleep in almost no time at all. But we'd woken up still unsatisfied. Reese had of course taken control once more since I wasn't anywhere near ready to take it just yet, but by god I did not regret letting him take it. Like I've said, Reese has a lot of experience and now he uses it to fulfil my needs. Last night was amazing but this morning was spectacular. At least I think its morning. The blinds were down so I had no idea what time it was.

I gently pulled away from my mate and turned around to look at the clock on my bedside table. 1 p.m. Oh god, how much did my father and brother hear? We had not kept quiet and Nick and Antonio were not going to work today, meaning they probably heard the whole thing. "Oh, god," I groaned, turning to look up at the ceiling and bringing my hands up to my face. And they'd heard us last night too. Great, just great.

"It's okay, amor," my mate said as I felt him move closer to me and then he laid a hand over my belly, gently rubbing circles into it to calm me. I inhaled deeply, letting his scent wash over me, and then I pulled my hands away and looked at him. He was propped up on his arm while the other one was over me, still trying to soothe me. He smiled at me and said, "We have to hear Nick and his girlfriends and Max and Addison all the time. I doubt any of them will be shocked by our love making anytime soon."

"I know," I sighed and tried to relax against my mate's touch. "It's just a—"

"A you thing, I know," he said, cutting me off. I grinned at him, instantly loving how he finished my sentences. He knew me better than I gave him credit for, I think. "We'll work on it," he whispered. I bit my lip and nodded, knowing that there was nothing I could do to avoid them hearing us, unless I wanted to go out to the guest house or to the forest whenever the need arose. Nope, that was so not going to work. I'd just have to get over it, but it would take time, patience and a lot of awkward moments before that happened, I'm sure.

Reese leaned in then, kissing me gently, and I immediately let him in, the kiss instantly turning passionate. I moaned softly and moved closer to him, the heat of his body calling to me. Without warning, both his hands found my waist and then I was suddenly pulled on top of him. I hesitated slightly, unnerved by my position, but Reese quickly silenced my doubts with his exploring hands and tongue. I felt him harden against me and I straddled him a little ways off from his hips, but Reese gently started moving me a little lower.

"Guys," Nick's voice called from behind the door. Reese growled lowly as I pulled away and grinned down at him. I wiggled my hips, moving lower on him until I had his arousal before me. I let my hands trail towards him, teasing him mercilessly as I watched him bite his lip to keep quiet. "Guys, we need you downstairs," Nick said now, though thankfully he didn't try to come in.

I sighed and let go of my mate, getting off of him. He growled lowly and then sighed, calling to Nick that we'd be down soon. Nick said something about soon being right now, but I barely heard it as I walked into the bathroom. I started the shower up and was just about to get in when my mate grabbed me from behind, pulling me against him and letting me feel just how aroused he still was.

"Nick said now, I believe," I said, closing my eyes and leaning back against him, making him groan. He growled softly behind me and then let me go, but I just spun around and pulled him down, kissing him deeply. His arms instantly wrapped around me once more, gently pulling me up, and I wrapped my legs tightly around him.

I felt the hot water droplets spray my skin as Reese took us into the shower, making me shiver in my mate's arms. He pressed me up against the wall, the water spitting at us from above, and broke the kiss momentarily to say, "This won't take long," and slipped into me.

Reese POV

Like I said, it didn't take long, but I guess that could be expected. We hadn't taken long last night or this morning, in fact. But we'd been holding out for three months and teasing each other for over a week, so I really hadn't expected less. What I had not expected was for her to let me take her in the shower. Maybe I was still worried about her insecurities, but now that we'd bonded, most of them have seemed to disappear, though admittedly there were still some things she wasn't confident in yet, like taking the lead. But we'd get there and soon, I think, and hopefully that would give her a boost in confidence in other areas as well.

Kim might feel a little embarrassed about everyone hearing us but that never stopped her from expressing just how much she liked what I did. It was just one of many things we had to work on, but I'd help her through it. Just like I'd help her gain enough confidence so she could take the lead. As much as I liked taking it, I also liked it when she took it. No, despite everything that happened to my mother and all the hang-ups I've always had, they didn't seem to apply to Kim. I didn't feel like I had to ask if something was okay or if she was uncomfortable. She let me do what I wanted, when I wanted and I knew that if she didn't like it or didn't want it, she'd tell me. Just like she had always told me to stop before she knew she was ready. Only now that we had bonded and she had given me the okay did I take the lead without feeling the need to ask her if it was okay, unlike when we first began. She might still be unconfident but she had no problem with making herself heard.

Gently I let her down and wondered how long it would be before we calmed down. Just a touch set us on fire now that we were letting go and fulfilling our needs, but like I said, it didn't take us very long. I guess it would be a while before we reached a normal rhythm, or maybe not. I liked it fast and hard as did Kim it seemed, so I wasn't complaining.

We quickly finished showering and Kim said something about bringing in my things so I didn't have to use her shampoo next time. I couldn't help but smile as she said this, though she wasn't looking at me to see it when she did. I knew that she was avoiding the whole moving in thing because it was a big step in a relationship. Never having had a real relationship where she'd found herself with a guy wanting to move in with her made her very anxious about it. It was just her doubts and fears about a real relationship, but I wasn't one to talk. I'd never moved in with anyone either, not officially at least. I hadn't had a serious girlfriend since Daniella up until Kim came along. There just hadn't been any point in seeing someone when they didn't know what I really was, I just couldn't do it. Besides, it had taken me a while to recover after my arrival to the States.

We got out of the shower and dressed. I didn't even have to go to my room to get clothes since I had plenty in Kim's wardrobe. I guess my mate was in deniable about the fact that I had moved in already, but I'd give her all the time she needed to come to terms with our living together. It was a big step but we'd practically taken it a while back, all that I was missing was my toothbrush and shampoo. Thankfully all the clothes I had in here were in the mahogany wardrobe in her room, so I didn't have to watch her while she dressed. That would have only delayed our going downstairs.

Once we were ready we started going downstairs, with me holding on firmly to her hand, feeling the bond race between us. I knew that we had been called down to talk about Turner but I wasn't sure about what exactly. Now that I had finally claimed Kim as mine I could focus on protecting her and my wolf whole-heartedly agreed. Kim was now ours to protect and I would do whatever I had to to protect her. With my brothers safely at Stonehaven I could focus entirely on protecting my Kim. Kim is mine.

Kim POV

I growled lowly, letting everyone know that I was pissed. Normally if I was angry I tried to force it back, least it get the better of me. Now I didn't care. I was pissed and I wanted them to know it, well, I wanted my mate to know. It was his fault after all.

"I'm going," I growled and glared at Reese. He growled lowly, his wolf peeking through his eyes, but I just growled back. Antonio ordered us to back down immediately and we did, though I was still pissed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose as I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes for a moment, forcing the wolf back. It was never a good idea to let her out when I was angry, getting her back under control was much harder than usual if I did. When I had calmed and my wolf was under wraps, I turned my gaze over to Antonio and saw that his wolf was close at hand so I quickly dropped my gaze.

"I'm going," I said firmly and glanced up. My father nodded proudly as if he had expected this and then looked over at Reese. I followed his gaze to find my mate watching me. I held his gaze and he eventually looked away with red hot determination and the wolf gleaming in his eyes.

"I don't want you hurt, Kim," he said softly, obviously still trying to rein in his wolf.

"What, you don't think I can protect myself?" I growled. Reese's head shot up, alarm sparking behind his eyes.

"No, I know you can, but we don't know what this guy is capable of," he said gently with a pleading look now. He didn't like arguing any more than I did.

"I won't be alone, Reese, not really. I'm going," I said with an air of finality, but Reese still wasn't convinced it seems.

"No," Reese growled and I glared at him.

"Are you going to stop me?" He looked taken aback for a moment and then looked determined once more. I knew why he was saying this, why he felt like I needed to stay out of it all, but this was my decision, not his. "It's my choice, Reese, and I want to go. I need to go. I don't want Turner to get away." Even as I spoke I knew that we were wasting time. We needed to leave, now.

"I won't put you in harm's way just so we can catch him," he said lowly, his wolf still close at hand as he shone in my mate's eyes, trying to enforce his dominance. I pulled my own wolf out and tried to shove his back, but it was no use. Up until then I hadn't really seen just how dominant Reese was, but now I knew. He was just as dominant as me, maybe more but I wasn't backing down from my mate. We were equals and I would not submit to him, ever.

"That's enough," Antonio ordered loudly. I heard him move over to us and I saw something shift in Reese's eyes and then the wolf was gone. He instantly backed down, baring his neck to me and then turned to Antonio who laid a hand on his shoulder. Reese submitted to him as well without any coaxing as did I.

"Now," my father said, taking a step back from the couch Reese and I were on. I glanced up at him to see him looking angrily at Reese who was staring down at his feet, keeping a submissive stance before an enraged mate and a dominant wolf. "If Kim wants to go, she will go. This is her decision, Reese," he growled and glared at him before turning to me. "Go grab your things, princess. We're leaving in ten minutes." I nodded and scrammed from the room before Reese could argue again.

I had only managed to get a couple of tops and a few pieces of underwear into my duffle bag before I heard my bedroom door open and the sound of Reese's unmistakable footsteps come in. I didn't even acknowledge him and just kept shoving clothes into the bag. I heard him come over into the walk-in wardrobe and he sighed loudly when I didn't look up from my task.

"Amor," he whispered and I could hear the pain in his voice. Still, I didn't look at him. I didn't want to, not after what he had just tried to do. This was much worse than when he had tried to claim me after finding out that I was afraid of binding myself to him. This was much, much worse.

"Go," I said, grabbing a pair of jeans and chucking them into the bag as well. A few pairs of Converse were next and then I was set. I didn't need much for a mutt hunt, just my bitch-in-heat scent basically, though this particular mutt didn't want me for that. A hand suddenly touched my shoulder as I zipped the bag up, but I just pulled away, spinning around to look at him. "Just go away, Reese. I'll see you when I come back." I said stiffly and pulled the bag over my shoulder.

Ignoring his look of hurt that had me cringing inside, I made to walk past him, but he held onto my arm and pulled me around to face him, all with gentle movements, letting me know that I could pull away whenever I wanted to.

"Please. I didn't mean—" My glare cut him short and then I yanked my arm out of his grip.

"Don't lie," I growled, "You did mean to try to enforce your dominance over me." I tried to hold it back but the hurt inevitably showed through my voice and my eyes, I'm sure.

"I just want to protect you," he whispered, the words almost a whine, proving that his wolf was still close. I closed my eyes and took a step back. The smell of Reese's sadness was starting to become overwhelming and my wolf was rising within me to comfort our mate, but I held her back. We'd been mated for almost eighteen hours and he was already trying to use his dominance over me. If I weren't so dominant myself, it would have worked. But he had backed down before we reached the point of proving our dominance to each other, thankfully.

"I know but not like that. Ever," I growled and opened my eyes to glower at him, making him flinch. I mentally winced at the pain in his eyes and tears started forming in my eyes before I could stop them.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, dropping his head submissively. "I really am, amor. But you know how overly protective my wolf can get when it comes to you. I was only just able to control myself from killing Mark. It's no excuse, I know, but only imagining what that mutt could do to you…" He let the sentence drop and looked up into my eyes, letting me see the sorrow that filled them.

"I love you, Reese, but this….this can't go on like this. You need to trust that I can look after myself. I don't need you to go slay my dragons for me. I can do it myself or we can do it together. I don't know what a real relationship is supposed to be like, but this is how I want ours to be like. I want us to be equals, I want us to help and protect each other, not just you protecting and helping me. I want to be there for you too," I said more gently now as I forced calm to spread through my body. If Reese had really enforced his dominance over me, then I would not be as forgiving, but I'd seen how he'd backed down when he realized what he was doing. He hadn't meant it and I knew it. All I had to do was remember how he had attacked Max when I first arrived to know that he couldn't control the wolf's instincts like that. I could—most of the time—but I guess that was only because I'm a bitten wolf, unlike Reese who had been born with the wolf's instincts.

"Reese, are we…do you think we're the same? I mean, are we…equals?" Reese frowned at me and took a step closer.

"Of course," he said with determination and took another step closer, now within touching distance but I kept my hands at my sides.

"Then why did your wolf instinctively move to make me submit when I disagreed with you?" From the look on his face I knew that he hadn't expected the question and also knew that he didn't see it that way.

"It's not like that. We are equals, amor, but you're ours to protect, and if I have to be dominant to do that, then instinct takes over," he said as quickly as possible and took my hands from my sides and held them between us. "Remember when you asked me to keep my wolf under control?" I nodded. It had been just after he attacked Max and when he got angry at Max for being rude to me. Both times the wolf's instincts had ruled everything else out. "Do you remember me telling you that I couldn't promise anything but that I would try?" I bit my lip and nodded again. God, it felt like so long ago when he'd said that.

Reese let go of one of my hands and lifted his to my cheek, stroking it as he stepped even closer, barely a foot between us. Instantly my breath hitched as his scent washed over me. I had gotten used to his smell but sometimes it caught me off guard, overwhelming me and leaving me breathless, just like now. His stroking hand came under my chin and lifted my head so I could meet his breathtakingly beautiful gaze.

"I'm trying, sweetheart, I really am. But what I didn't tell you back then is that my wolf always submits to you because you're my mate, Kim, and I would never try to dominate you, not intentionally," he said and leaned down, kissing me gently before pulling back. He gazed down at me, waiting for me to say something, but my head was buzzing as I realized that he was right. He had always submitted to me, always, and the only other people he submitted to were older Pack members because they were above him. Being younger than him I should submit to him but I didn't, I never did.

"Then do you think I'm more than you?" I asked and Reese's grip on the hand he was holding instantly tightened.

"No, cariño. We are equals, like you said. I'm just very protective of you, as is my wolf, and like I said, his instincts drive me when I have to protect you. But it becomes overwhelming and I lose control and only you can force the wolf and his instincts down. Do you remember what happened when I attacked Max?" I bit my lip and nodded, dropping my gaze, not submissively, just to avoid seeing the pain in his eyes right then.

Yes, I remembered the day he attacked Max. My brother had called me a selfish bitch and Reese had gone berserk, tackling him to the floor. When he pinned Max down and I'd seen the damage he was doing to his brother, I'd tackled him myself and held him down until he'd calmed. He'd backed down almost immediately, as soon as he saw who was over him. Knowing that he shouldn't submit to me, though he always did, proved that we were equals, I suppose. I just hadn't realized it, even if he had submitted to me from the very beginning, from the moment we met.

"I never want you to submit to me, Kim, never," he said firmly, almost sounding like an order, but I knew that it wasn't. He was on edge, the smell of his nervousness streaming off of him.

"And do you trust me enough to be able to protect myself?" I asked and was responded with a soft growl. I looked up to see Reese looking a little angry.

"If you didn't know how to look after yourself, Kim, I would hardly leave your side. I'd probably lock you in the training room with me until you could." I couldn't help but smile at his words. Maybe they should have scared me, or at least worried me, but they didn't. At least my mate had enough confidence in me to not lock me in the basement. "You're an amazing fighter, amor. If it weren't so you would never have taken me down," he said gently now, giving me a small smile. I grinned shyly and nodded, just wanting to drop this subject.

I lifted my hands up to his head, taking a hold of him and kissing him deeply, letting him know that he was forgiven. I left him gasping for air and when I pulled away I said, "I'm sorry I overreacted."

"No, you didn't. You had every right to be angry at me, but I promise that it wasn't intentional," he said and I stroked his cheek, murmuring that I knew that now. "Come on," he said suddenly and started tugging at me. I rolled my eyes at his sudden eagerness and picked up the duffle bag that had fallen sometime throughout my forgiveness kiss.

Reese led me out of the closet and my room to his, where he grabbed the first clothing he could find and shoved it into his own bag. "It's not that I don't trust you, amor," he said quickly as I went to help him. I gave him a look and shook my head at him when we both reached his bag at the same time, both shoving clothes into it.

"Please. Like I'd let you go after a mutt by yourself," I said and got a huge grin from my mate. I smiled back at him but it felt a little awkward on my face. I wasn't angry or upset anymore but I didn't like fighting with my mate, especially about dominance. Yes, we'd figured it out and I now knew why Reese had always submitted to me even if he was older. I was his mate and was the only person that could control him when his wolf went on a murderous rampage just to protect me. Still, an argument like this merely proved that we still had a long way to go and a lot of things to work on between us.

Once Reese was ready we headed downstairs to find that both Nick and Antonio were coming too. With barely a word exchanged between us we went to the garage, hopped into Antonio's black Mercedes and started making our way towards Stonehaven, only stopping once for food so as to not lose much time.

Around noon Jeremy had called Antonio for reinforcements because Clay had caught Turner's scent at Stonehaven on one of his sweeps. Clay did daily sweeps now that a mutt had targeted the two wounded pups and his children were also staying at home until Turner was caught. Clay and Elena refused to leave the house with only Jeremy and Jaime to look after the four young wolves, even if was just one mutt that was after them. The Alpha had also requested that I come with them. No, not ordered, requested. I had only been a werewolf for four months now and he had said that if I didn't feel like I was up to playing bait, then I didn't need to come. When Antonio had told us this, I'd said yes and Reese had said no, thus the argument.

We arrived at Stonehaven a few hours later since my father drove like he was on a racing track rather than on a highway filled with traffic. He didn't take the car all the way up the driveway and left it out of sight of the gates and house. We didn't want to go up to the house just yet, or we'd be distracted by my brothers who I missed terribly after almost two days without them.

We got out of the car to find Clay waiting for us just inside of the woods. He informed us of what he'd found during his sweep which he'd done just before lunch while he walked over to the spot where he'd found the scent trail. It was from this morning and Clay told us that the twins and the boys had been out playing in the yard before noon. Effectively the trail led all the way up to the edge of the woods right next to the house. How the hell Turner had followed the boys here or what was going through his head to come so close to the house was a mystery to us, but Clay wanted him dead, we all did.

When we reached the edge of the forest, Clay went back inside and we went back to the car, Reese holding onto me even if it was less than unlikely that Turner was still around here. Clay told us that just like at Christmas the trail led back through the forest and to the road, disappearing into the stink of gasoline and metal.

"The mutt is suicidal," Nick said as we reached the town, shaking his head as he turned to look back at me and Reese.

"His just trying to get his mate back, but I guess he went crazy when she died," I murmured and stared out the window. Reese tightened his grip on my hand and stroked it gently with his fingers and I knew that I'd probably go crazy if I ever lost Reese. After all, how could I survive without the anchor that held me down? I'd just float away.

Antonio's phone started ringing but he was driving so Nick picked it up. It was Karl. He'd been trying to track Turner down since Elena had called him in and had managed to find him at a motel in the outskirts of town. Elena had told him to wait for us to arrive, but Turner had scented him and had run.

"He's heading towards the airport," I heard Karl say, the sound of a roaring car motor in the background. Phone conversations around werewolves were rarely private. Antonio told him that we were on our way and hung up as he hit the accelerator as far as it could go. He wanted to catch Turner probably even more than my mate did. Turner was after me but had already proven that he would and could hurt anyone he had to to get to me. It just so happens that the wolves he had targeted and had hurt were under my father's protection who was very, very dominant and the most overprotective werewolf I knew. Turner would die a very painful death when my father got his hands on him.

Antonio brought the car to a skidding halt in a parking spot between two cars, not even scratching them. We all jumped out, but Antonio ordered us to just walk quickly. We couldn't alert Turner to our presence. We reached the main entrance where Karl was waiting for us, looking thoroughly bored.

"Princess, are you sure you want to do this?" my father asked once we'd settled on the plan. My heart was thumping rapidly from the adrenaline of the hunt and I'm sure they could all hear it despite the noises of the airport.

"I'm sure," I said and glanced at Karl who didn't seem at all surprised at my agreeing to put myself in the line of fire. I'm pretty sure nothing could faze this man, not even a newly turned, small female werewolf who was about to play bait for a mutt triple her body mass and a good foot taller than her. Though I knew that Karl wasn't Antonio's favourite person in the world, they seemed to be getting along just fine then. Perhaps it was because they were both looking forward to hunting a mutt or maybe it was the hunting down the person that endangered the Pack so their wolves forced them to behave, who knew?

Antonio gave me an appraising nod with his wolf clearly visible in his eyes and Nick gave me a reassuring smile. I could smell my father and brother's nervousness for me but barely, unlike my mate's. The smell of Reese's anxiety was making the wolf rise dangerously within me. I turned to him and stared him down when I saw the wolf in full view.

"Equals, remember?" I reminded my mate once the wolf had backed down, though he was still visible since Reese was on high alert right then. My mate nodded and took a good look around us. If he could be here and risk getting hurt, then so could I. Thankfully the shower that morning had erased Reese's engrained scent—the one that would be left on me whenever we had sex and he marked me as his—meaning that Turner would not know that Reese had claimed me, which would surely just infuriate him and make him go after Reese. I did smell like Reese though, but it was only because he'd been holding me in his arms for most of the drive here from New York. However, it wasn't as strong as when he marked me.

I took a deep breath, inhaling my mate's scent as he gave my hand a tight squeeze, and the, left. I made my way through the packed airport, heading towards the flights that were going to New York. Why Turner was taking a flight back when he had obviously driven here, I had no idea but I didn't care. All that I knew was that I had to find him and it was all that I cared to do right then. I had to find him before he hurt anyone else.

I could feel several pairs of eyes on me so I knew that my Pack was watching me. I inhaled deeply through my nose but quickly switched to my mouth. There were way too many people here to be able to find Turner by scent and the floor had recently been cleaned by a foul smelling chemical. I wandered over to the check-ins and found that luck was with me today. I spotted him just as he walked up the counter, his light brown hair long and dirty looking as if he hadn't washed it in the past week or so.

I waited for him to finish with the guy at the check-in and looked around to see Antonio sitting on a nearby bench, seemingly occupied with a newspaper. I forced my attention back to Turner who was still busy getting a ticket, so I chanced a glance back at my father who now had two security guards by his side. I watched as my father argued with them for a few moments but the guards seemed unrelenting. Reluctantly Antonio stood and looked my way, giving me a look that said "I'll be back" and "be careful" at the same time before following the nice men away from me and Turner.

I forced myself to stay calm and not panic. Antonio was gone but Reese was still close by and I knew it. All I had to do now was follow through with the plan. I watched as Turner grabbed his plan ticket from the guy at the counter and turned my way, instantly spotting me and freezing on the spot. He stared at me, his eyes unbelieving, and I stared right back. I was just about to start walking over to him, but without warning he spun around and started running the other way.

"Shit," I swore to myself and, without thinking, chased after him, ignoring the people that insulted or glared at me when I bumped into them. Luckily people running in an airport wasn't all that strange. What was strange was that we were running towards the exits and not towards the planes.

Turner ran out the closest exit and made for the parking lot. As the fresh air hit me when I made it outside I glanced behind me to see that I was alone. I made myself keep running though. Reese would come and I knew it. I had been out of sight of Nick and Karl so I had no idea if they had seen us or if they would come. I just had to stall Turner until my mate and Pack arrived and make sure he didn't get away, no matter what it took. I couldn't let Turner get away. I sprinted full out as I crossed the road and we reached the parking lot. He swerved and I lost him for a moment until I cut though a couple of cars and spotted him again.

He ran through the parking lot, going further and further into it until we were at the edge of it, the cars growing scarcer by the second. I saw him turn behind a cluster of cars and I made the turn only seconds after him but was instantly tackled to the ground, my head hitting the ground hard. I fought unconsciousness at the same time as I fought the man that was trying to pin me.

I sent a punch up at him, hitting him square in the jaw, but I didn't hit him very hard because I didn't have enough room to gain force. I buckled under him and took a hold of his shoulders, rolling us so I was on top of him. I made to pin him, but he buckled and punched as well. Without warning he grabbed onto my shoulders and threw me off of him. I rolled and jumped to my feet a few feet away and started towards him as he got up, but I froze when he pulled out a familiar looking object.

"I don't want to hurt you, Rachel," he said gently, opening the pocket knife, automatically contradicting his words. I growled and took a step forward, but he just lifted the blade up higher. I glared at him, holding his gaze, not even blinking. "Come with me, my love," he said suddenly and I pounced, but I was too late.

I hit the car that had been behind Turner and felt a pain stab through my right thigh just as I heard my mate gasp in pain. I spun around and saw Reese trying to pin Turner down while blood streamed from his thigh. Without thinking I jumped and tackled my mate, getting him off of Turner. Pain seared through my left arm as I did so, but I ignored it. I landed over Reese but quickly got up and flew at Turner, the wolf raging within me at the smell of our mate's blood. I knew that I needed to tend to my mate but the smell of blood, Reese's blood, blinded me with uncontrollable rage.

Turner was already on his feet but he hadn't been expecting me to charge so I managed to smash his jaw and get a good kick into his stomach before he took a hold of my left forearm which was covered in blood, making me wince and gasp in pain. I kicked out and got him up in the groin, but he didn't let go, just swung my arm around, pinning it on my back and forcing me down to my knees.

"I love you," Turner whispered into my ear as he caressed my face from behind and then threw me face first to the floor. I managed to put both my good arm and my injured arm down before I impacted but before I could turn around I heard Turner's footsteps running away from me as three pairs of heavy footsteps hurriedly neared me.

I forced myself up and turned around to see Nick, Antonio and Karl heading over to me and Reese, none of them looking to happy. Without a word I turned away from them and went over to my mate who was now sitting up with a hand on his thigh, trying to staunch the bleeding. I pressed my own hands against the stab wound just as our Pack arrived. My father froze for a moment, taking in my wounds and Reese's, and then looked towards where Turner had fled.

"Go," I said, barely removing my gaze from my mate. I saw my father nod and then he took off with Karl in tow. Nick bent down, stripping from his sweater and shirt and handing me the shirt while he put the sweater back on. I ripped the Armani clothing and bandaged Reese's leg as best I could, making him wince when I tightened the fabric.

"Sorry," I murmured and finished him off.

"Can you stand, mate?" Nick asked as he assessed my mate, gauging the answer to his question himself.

"Kim," Reese growled lowly and took my wounded arm, pulling it towards him. Nick swore and went to pull his sweater off.

"Don't," I said firmly and pulled my arm out of Reese's grip. "I'm fine for now. I can wait, Reese can't." Nick thought my words through for a moment and then glanced at Reese's leg before nodding. Reese tried to argue but Nick shut him up with a clear cut order. Nick was in charge without Antonio or Karl here, so we had to obey him.

Nick helped Reese up and I led the way back to our car which was on the other side of the lot. It was slow going because Reese was limping, but I made him go slowly or the wound would just bleed more. By the time we got to the car Antonio and Karl were back, empty handed.

"I'm sorry, princess," my father said and put a hand on my shoulder as I took Nick's destroyed shirt off of my mate and took out the stitching kit. My mate watched me as I slid the needle through his leg while he sat on the backseat of the car and I swear I could feel the pain I caused him. I felt eyes on me as I worked but I forced myself to focus on my mate and not turn around and snap at whoever it was to keep a look out. Once I had finished stitching, I put a bandage on and turned around to face the three large men before me. I felt their anger wash over me, the scent of it clashing with the eyes of their wolves that were disappointed with the failed hunt.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. The guards just told me that I had to accompany them to security and half way there they told me to go, that it was a mistake," he said, the end of his short speech a very near growl. He then swore furiously in Italian and I was glad that his words weren't directed at me.

"Come on, hun," Nick said from beside me, who obviously had more control in a situation like this since he wasn't the one in charge of the hunt, but he was still pissed. My brother pushed me gently back to the car, sitting me down where Reese had just been—who was now on the other side of the seat—and took off my jacket. Thankfully the material had taken most of the blade's impact but I still needed four or five stitches. Since I was the only one that could do them without leaving much of a scar the men decided to take me back to Stonehaven so Jeremy could do it.

We left as soon as my arm was bandaged, my father gunning the gas once more so we were at Stonehaven in no time at all. For the entire trip Reese held me firmly in his arms. I knew that he had been afraid for me or else he would not have intervened. I snuggled into him, allowing him to gain the knowledge that I was fine despite the smell of blood that was coming from my bandage.

The boys were upstairs when we got to the house, thankfully, so Reese and I were able to clean up and get out of the bloody clothes before facing them. We didn't want them to know that we were wounded. That would just worry them and they really didn't need to worry. Besides, the wolf instinct within us told us to not look guilty before the Pack, especially the young ones who looked up at us as leaders.

If Jeremy was surprised that we hadn't caught Turner, he didn't show it. Nor could I tell if he was angry, not even from scent. The man had amazing control. Antonio, who had been the one that was supposed to cover my back at the airport and was also the man in charge of the hunt, told the Alpha what had happened. Nick and Karl had been waiting outside so I was of their sight when I'd started chasing Turner. They'd been waiting for me to lead him out of the building and they didn't realize what had happened until they saw Reese running towards the parking lot and they followed him, joining up with Antonio.

Jeremy checked mine and Reese's wounds over and stitched me up. Not the best experience in my life since he did it without anaesthetics, but I'll live. At least it was only five stitches. I knew it could have been much, much worse. Once Jeremy had bandaged me up and I'd pulled on a long sleeved top to cover the injury, Jeremy praised us. Yes, he really did praise us, telling us that we did well, especially me since it had been my first mutt hunt. Before he could say anything more, we all suddenly heard the sounds of a very large something—make that two—tumbling down the stairs and then heard two gasps of pain. We all flew out of the study and into the hall to find Max and Noah lying on the floor, both holding their wounded arms.

Attending to my brothers, and later scolding them for fighting and hurting themselves again, gave me something to do, something I could control. Not being able to catch Turner had left me feeling powerless, almost like I couldn't control anything that happened and fixing my brothers—and Reese back in the parking lot—helped me to gain some control again. Noah was hurt, his healing wrist fractured once more, and Max would need a few more days before he was healed.

Max doesn't like to be hauled up for too long—something to do with his past, I think—and he'd baited Noah who was still on edge after not being able to protect Abbey. Normally my older brother was calm and collected no matter how much Max baited him, but he didn't like being caged anymore than the twins did. Besides, the situation was making everyone edgy and their wolves were not happy that they couldn't take down this asshole.

Reese and I took our brothers up to the room they were staying in and forced them into bed with us, granting us more control and our brothers knew that so they went along with our orders, not matter how simple. I knew that both Reese and I would have preferred a long session of sex to regain the control we'd lost, but we couldn't very well do that while sleeping in the same bed as our brothers. That would just take our closeness to a level I so did not want. Instead my mate and I slept on either side of our brothers, knowing that if anything should happen, they would be safe because we were there.

We left Stonehaven the next day since Karl had informed us that all signs indicated that Turner had left, though he would be staying in town until he was caught. Hope was also coming down to stay at Stonehaven for her own safety. Our brothers had been much more relaxed this morning now that they'd seen their family safe and sound. They were being taken to the City to distract them and to keep them away in case Turner was still around, though they were still a little anxious that they might be moved further away but that couldn't be helped. If they had to go across the pond to be safe, then so be it. Who knew that one crazy mutt could cause so much trouble?

"Relax, amor," Reese said gently as he leaned into me in the back seat of Antonio's car once we were well on our way back home. I nodded and shifted so Reese could rest against my chest while I fingered through his hair.

"I'm fine," I murmured. It wasn't a lie, I was fine, but something was of course eating at me and my mate knew it. I didn't really like the idea of my brothers going away nor did I like them being at Stonehaven, far away from us, but it was for their safety so I didn't complain. Max did enough of that for the two of us. "How's the leg?" I asked, laying my hand that wasn't in his hair over his wounded thigh.

"I'll live," he whispered and all of a sudden I just wanted to be home so I could make my mate feel better. He was healing okay but he'd be limping for a couple of days, though he didn't do it before the rest of the Pack. The wolf's instinct to not show weakness before stronger wolves in case they took advantage of it. Of course no one would, it was just instinct. He didn't hide his limp from me, though. His wolf knew that his mate would never hurt him, never.

I glanced towards the front and saw Nick changing the station as my father glanced back at us through the rear-view mirror while he drove. I gave him a small smile, trying to reassure him that I really was okay, like I'd been trying to do for the entire morning until we left. They had all been coddling me and asking if I was okay. I was, I really was. Facing a mutt had not been as scary as I had thought it would be.

"I'm proud of you, principessa," my father said and Nick piped in that so was he. I sighed and mentally rolled my eyes but said nothing. They'd been saying that all day yesterday and this morning as well, including Elena. They all said that I'd done well considering that it was the first time I went after a mutt and the first time I played bait—it wouldn't be the last time Clay had said. The Pack enforcer only reprimanded me for being wounded when trying to save Reese, saying that it was something that I could have avoided if I'd waited for the opportune moment. I accepted his criticism but I knew that I wouldn't do it differently if it happened again. If my mate was in danger, everything else was out.

My mate fell asleep on my lap before we were even half way home and I knew that that was a good sign. Healing took up a lot of energy so he had to eat a lot and also sleep a lot. As he lied on me, I caressed his hair and face but gently so as to not wake him. With my free hand I used my phone to consult with the best sex adviser in the world. My mate would need to regain control just like the rest of us, but I also wanted to please him with what he had asked of me. He hadn't asked but he had said that he liked it, so I would oblige no matter how awkward I knew I would feel being in charge.

We got home by dinner time but we just grabbed some take away from a local restaurant and took it home. Once the food was all gone we scattered to take up different activities to take the edge off of the failed hunt. Antonio went down to the basement to beat the crap out of the punching bag, Nick went out to get laid and Reese and I went up to my room, or our room I should say. I wasn't totally sure about it yet, but I guess that with a little time I would accept our living together.

The door closed behind me and I followed my injured mate who now showed his limp since we were alone to the bed. He laid down on it, shifting into a comfortable position, and I followed him, immediately straddling his hips and bringing my lips down to his, kissing him hard. He tried to arch up, but I just pushed him down. Apparently he really did like me taking control because his arousal instantly grew tenfold.

I moved my kisses down his neck and up to his earlobe, making him ground up to me. I let my tongue explore down his neck line and I tugged on his shirt, pulling it off of him. His jeans went next, but I gave him the pleasure of undressing me, all the while being careful to not touch our wounds. Our underwear went flying to the floor, most of it not in one piece, and even though I was setting the pace, Reese decidedly took the lead for a moment. His hand slid down between us until it found its way to me and he slid two fingers into me. I gasped and moaned over him as he regained the control he'd lost with Turner, but then it was my turn.

"Do you want me to help you?" he asked breathlessly as I positioned myself over him. I shook my head, but he placed his hands on my hips anyway. I let him and gently lowered myself onto him. My breathing instantly quickened and my mate groaned, but that was before I surprised him. I didn't want to hurt him so instead of going up and down I moved in circular motions. Reese's grip tightened painfully on my hips, but I said nothing as I led my mate over the edge. Cosmo had said that it would be slow going but it honestly didn't take any longer than it normally took us.

"Where did you learn that?" Reese moaned as I slid off of him. As I sidled up beside him, he turned to look at me and I flushed a little, wondering if I should tell him. Would it bother him that I'd looked it up?

"Cosmo," I said eventually. He frowned as if wondering what that was and then grinned widely.

"You're amazing," he said and put and an arm around, pulling me closer. He kissed me as soon as I was within reached. I gave into him, holding my mate as closely as I could. I hadn't been afraid today, only for one infinite moment when I heard my mate gasp in pain. But my mate was strong and I'd known that he'd be okay but I wasn't going to take that chance when he was wounded and his opponent had a weapon. The wolf understood that the battles were to be one on one but that didn't seem to apply to my mate.

We pulled away, gasping for air, and I leaned into his chest, inhaling deeply as I wondered how much more damage Turner would do before he died. The fact that he had even hurt me who he thought to be his dead lover just proved how dangerous he was. My two brothers and my mate were now hurt because of this stupid bastard. I promised myself then and there in my mate's arms that if he or my father didn't kill him soon, then I would.

Reese POV

My mate is so strong and so brave. I was proud of her, so proud of her. Yesterday she had proven to us and even Karl that she was made for this life, she was meant to be a werewolf. She had faced Turner on her own, knowing that Antonio had been taken away and that the rest of us wouldn't get there before her. She'd taken the chance and would have succeeded if Turner hadn't been armed.

For one eternal moment I had been scared for my mate when I saw Turner with the knife. Had I trusted my mate to handle the situation I probably wouldn't have been hurt, nor she. A stupid mistake I would never make again. Clay and Elena had scolded me for intervening and had made me promise to not do it again unless it was obvious that Kim could not handle it which had not been the case. I'd just seen my mate in danger and my wolf had freaked, badly. More so now that Clay had dropped the idea that Kim might be an enforcer one day and after today he seemed prepared to start her training as well as me. If she agreed to be an enforcer, then I would need to trust her as she trusted me. We were equals after all.

I sighed and pulled my mate closer as she slept in my arms. Equals. That was what I wanted in our relationship as well and that's exactly what we were, but I knew that I was overprotective, sometimes way too much, like yesterday morning when we had argued because of it. She was protective too but she had trusted me enough to fight my own battles, at least until I was wounded. I needed to learn to trust her and her abilities and put my own doubts aside to let her shine and become more confident in herself. I lost it yesterday when I'd tried to dominate her but as soon as I realized what I was doing, I'd backed off. My mate was not below me, nor above me, but I would never make her submit to me, ever. She is the only one that could control me and my wolf when we went on Hulk-like rampages which is why we submit to her.

No, I had never thought that just because we had bonded our relationship would be easier. Anything but that. It was almost like every other relationship, except that we shared a special bond that could rival even Clay's and Elena's. I knew that they felt when one was seriously wounded or in great distress, but yesterday I'd felt it when Kim's arm was cut. Our bond was deep, very deep, but we still had a lot of things to work out and I wasn't sure if Kim was ready to know that we could feel each other's pain, though I wasn't sure if she had felt my pain. She hadn't said anything but maybe she had been afraid to do so. Like I said, we still had a lot of things to work through, though luckily sex was not among those many things.

In sex we were compatible, very compatible it seems. If Kim had wanted to surprise me, that's exactly what she did. I knew that Cosmo was a sex reference for many women, but the thought that Kim had done that just for me was astounding and exhilarating. Maybe I could look something up to surprise her as well, though first thing's first. Turner dies, and sooner rather than later. He would pay for hurting my mate and my brothers. His death will be painful, very painful. I'll make sure of it.


	33. Ch 33 Before The Storm

**Fearless is the direct sequel to Unbroken, but it will not contain any spoilers so it can be ready safely without knowing the end of Unbroken. It is being published before Unbroken is finished because Kim will have her own story to tell towards the end of The Way to Live. **

* * *

><p><strong>Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled <strong>**Strong Part 3.**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

_*A special thanks to Nevaeh717 for the awesome feedback and support._

**Skyscraper – Demi Lovato**

Skies are crying  
>I am watching<br>Catching teardrops in my hands  
>Only silence as it's ending, like we never had a chance<br>Do you have to, make me feel like there is nothing left of me?

You can take everything I have  
>You can break everything I am<br>Like I'm made of glass  
>Like I'm made of paper<br>Go on and try to tear me down  
>I will be rising from the ground<br>Like a skyscraper!  
>Like a skyscraper!<p>

As the smoke clears  
>I awaken, and untangle you from me<br>Would it make you, feel better to watch me while I bleed?  
>All my windows, still are broken<br>But I'm standing on my feet

You can take everything I have  
>You can break everything I am<br>Like I'm made of glass  
>Like I'm made of paper<br>Go on and try to tear me down  
>I will be rising from the ground<br>Like a skyscraper!  
>Like a skyscraper!<p>

Go run, run, run  
>I'm gonna stay right here<br>Watch you disappear, yeah  
>Go run, run, run<br>Yeah it's a long way down  
>But I am closer to the clouds up here<p>

You can take everything I have  
>You can break everything I am<br>Like I'm made of glass  
>Like I'm made of paper, Oh<br>Go on and try to tear me down  
>I will be rising from the ground<p>

Like a skyscraper!  
>Like a skyscraper!<br>Like a skyscraper!  
>Like a skyscraper!<p>

Ch 33 Before The Storm

Antonio POV

I stared at myself in the mirror as I did my tie up. After so many years the motions came easily, but I remembered how my father had had to drill into me how it went. I sighed and brushed a hand through my hair, wondering once again if this was a good idea. Yes, we would all be there, but all it took was for one of us to walk away for a moment for something to happen. Turner was smart and he had already proved that he was patient and cunning enough to wait for the opportune moment.

A knock on the bedroom door brought me out of my thoughts and I strode from the bathroom to find my son Nick coming in. He grinned at me with a "Hey, pops" and plumped down on the bed. I sighed and shook my head at him. "Relax, dad, nothing's going to happen," he sighed and put his hands behind his head as he got comfortable.

"You can't know that, Nicholas," I said and went back into the bathroom, picking up the towels I'd used and throwing them down the laundry chute. "If Tuner knew how to find Kim, Noah and Max to attack them or follow Kim, Reese, Noah and Abbey to the city, there's little doubt that he'll know about tonight's performance," I growled lowly. We thought that he might be watching the house, but I had done several sweeps of the property and hadn't found Turner's scent. Maybe he stalked the road where our long driveway ended, who knew?

"Everyone knows what to do tonight, Antonio. No one will be alone, not even for a second, least of all Kim," my son said, sitting on the edge of the bed. I nodded and went to sit beside him.

"I know," I murmured and wrapped an arm around my eldest son. No matter how old he was, I would never stop coddling him like when he was ten years old. The wolf in us demanded the closeness of the Pack and we always gave into it.

"You're just a protective old man," Nick grinned and pushed me away from him and went for my sides. I grinned and mentally rolled my eyes at my son's childishness but played with him nonetheless.

We fell to the floor when my son tried to pin me, but I rolled and ended up with a bruised head. As my son struggled to get away from under me, I heard the door open behind me and I turned to see my only daughter come in. Nick took advantage of my distraction and pushed me off of him. He stumbled to his feet and walked over to Kim as he fixed his tie.

I got to my feet as well and stared at my daughter. She was beautiful, so beautiful that I couldn't believe that the kids at her school had ever called her ugly. Puberty couldn't have been that hard on her so the only reason that I could think of was jealousy. The girls at her school might have felt threatened when Kim came along and instead of befriending her, they had taken her down, hurt her, broken her, destroyed her, but not beyond repair. That past and her past with her mother will be with her for the rest of her life, but at least now she was rising above it. The problems she had before I met her could come back, we all knew it, but I would do whatever I had to prevent that from ever happening. She was my princess and I would protect her always.

"I thought you were going to sing tonight, not model," Nick grinned as he wrapped an arm around Kim's waist, being careful to avoid the stitches on her arm—for which I would of course make Turner pay for. Well, I would also make him pay for hurting my other sons as well. The mutt should be praying that I never get my hands on him or he would regret ever being born. My daughter blushed at Nick's comment and looked down her dress which Nick had picked out for her. The silver looked beautiful on her, well, everything looked wonderful on her.

"You look stunning, principessa," I beamed as I neared her. Her blush deepened but she didn't look away from me at least. Slowly we were banishing her insecurities and working on her maintaining eye contact instead of hiding her emotions by looking away. One day I would make a short trip to see Kim's mother and tell her exactly what I thought of her parenting skills. But that could wait for now. I had more pressing matters, like catching, killing and torturing Turner, not in that particular order.

Reese walked into the room then and glowered at Nick who had his arm still around Kim. Nick just grinned at him and pulled Kim closer to him. Reese growled and moved towards Nick. "Enough," I ordered and stared my sons down. Kim looked a little lost and a bit overwhelmed. She was not used to men fighting over her, though Nick was only doing it to bait Reese which really seemed to amuse him. Nick let go of Kim but not before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Nick," I hissed under my breath. My son just rolled his eyes at me and looked over at Reese who kissed Kim as soon as she was within reach. Kim seemed flustered for a moment but then gave in. I looked away and glared at Nick who wisely submitted to my wolf. He knew better but he was having way too much fun for his own good.

Reese was very, very protective and territorial of Kim and even though they'd sealed the mate bond—it was hard not to know when you lived in the same house—he still felt the need to claim her when someone touched her too much, even if it was just the Pack. Thankfully it wasn't so bad with Max who tended to touch her much more than even Nick at times, but I suppose that had more to do with the fact that he was gay—a fact I can honestly say that I'm thankful for or we would have had a lot of trouble between Max and Reese. I wasn't sure if Reese was like this just because they were newly mated but I suspect it isn't and Reese is just like that. Of course he could keep the claiming in private. I did not necessarily like to see him sticking his tongue down my daughter's throat, nor apparently did Kim.

"Um, I'm going to, er, go see if Abbey's ready," Kim muttered a little breathlessly when Reese pulled away. She was blushing furiously and avoiding eye contact with all three of us. Without a word she turned around and walked out.

"Reese," I warned and he instantly backed down. I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose. I really didn't need this. I needed to focus on Turner. "We're leaving in ten minutes. Try and behave until then," I said exasperatedly and followed my daughter out of the room. Sometimes it felt like I had adolescent kids instead of adult sons. But I suppose boys would always be boys. Thank goodness Kim was a young woman and would keep growing, unlike my very immature sons.

Kim POV

I brushed a hand through the soft curls in my hair and made my way down the stairs. Honestly my mate could be very territorial. Well, he always had been, I just hadn't seen it until he first kissed me. I knew that it was just the wolf's instinct but I'd have to talk to my mate about public displays of affection, especially in front of my father. Talk about an embarrassing moment.

Before I reached the bottom landing I could already hear the sounds of my piano being played throughout the house. I grinned to myself and followed the sounds to my music room. I walked in without knocking—it is my music room after all—and found Abbey at the keys with Noah beside her, staring at her as if he hadn't seen her in a million years. Fear spread through me at the thought of what would happen when Abbey left tomorrow, but I held it back. They were happy now and I had other things to worry about. Like my growing panic. You would think that after already performing on stage I wouldn't get nervous anymore. So not true.

I sat down on the couch that was in the room and waited for Abbey to finish. "That was awesome," I grinned and Abbey smiled up at me.

"I'm still not as good as you though," she said as Noah wrapped an arm around her waist, shooting a glance my way, but I ignored him. He should know better than to keep seeking my permission.

"Just like I'm not as good as you at playing the guitar," I said simply, still grinning. It was actually because of Abbey that I was able to play the guitar. I had taught her how to play the piano and she had taught me how to play the guitar. "Noah, could you give us a moment?" Noah nodded and gave Abbey a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

"I know. You don't need to tell me," my friend said as soon as my brother was out of the room. I raised an eyebrow at her, not understanding. "I know I'm going too far with Noah. But he's just so…," she trailed off, looking down at her hands. I sighed and stood, walking over to her. I sat down beside her and gently laid a hand on her thigh. She looked up at me despairingly.

"You really like him, don't you?" I asked softly. Abbey bit her lip and nodded. I mentally sighed now. That was what I was afraid of. Abbey wasn't one for long relationships either, nor very serious ones. Like I've said, she had told me that she wanted to try what was out there before settling for one, though she had also told me that she would know who the love of her life was the moment she saw him.

I had tried to avoid talking about it with Abbey but I couldn't do that anymore. I knew that when Abbey left, they would both be in pain. Noah hadn't said a word about his relationship with Abbey, but he hadn't obeyed me when I'd told him to not make it into something that it wasn't. But what if it was something? What if it wasn't just a fling and the really did like each other, maybe even love? Noah hadn't had anything close to serious during my time here and from what I could tell, he never had.

"What are you going to do after talking with your parents? Are you going stay with your mum?" I asked and saw her flinch.

"No. I don't know. I might go with my dad, but…," she murmured and kept her gaze averted. I thought furiously about what I was about to do and knew that if it was prepared correctly then there was no reason for us to not be able to do it.

"Why don't we go on a holiday, just you and me? Finally go to Italy or something?" I asked with a small smile. She looked up at me and seemed to debate it before smiling.

"That would be awesome, but…"

"Noah can come as well but after I've had some quality time with my best friend," I grinned, knowing that it was going to be very difficult to separate these two. For now everything was okay but if they really wanted to make it serious, then we would have to discuss telling her about us. I wanted to, I really wanted to. I hated lying to my best friend and this was killing me because it is such an important aspect of my life now, but Jeremy would never allow it, unless Noah and Abbey were mates. Only then could we tell her. For now, though, it could wait.

I knew that Antonio would only allow us to go on a holiday if Pack members accompanied us, well, me. I was a female werewolf after all and could not go out into the world unguarded. That would just be suicidal. Maybe Reese and Noah could accompany us from a distance for a bit, giving me some time with Abbey before they joined us. We would see though.

"There is something I want to talk to you about, hun," I said after a moment of silence. She looked at me curiously, but I averted my gaze. This was going to be difficult but I had to do it. I took a deep breath and told her how she saved me. She had known that I had been depressed because of my grandma's death when we met but not to what extent. Now she knew and she also knew what I had been about to do and how my meeting her helped me to move on.

"Kim…," she whispered, her eyes wide and tear filled. Without a word, I leaned over to her and took her in my arms. She collapsed into them, sobbing furiously as I tried hard not to do the same, tears rolling down my own face non-stop.

"All I wanted to say was thank you, hun. Thank you for everything," I whispered into her hair and her sobs instantly intensified. I saw the door open behind her and Reese peeked in, but I motioned for him to leave. Abbey would not want anyone to see her crying. To think that I had once been like this too, always hiding my feelings to myself, but thanks to my family I could cry my heart out and know that no one would care, that no one would judge me because of them. Abbey still needed to learn that though.

Eventually she was calm enough to speak and she pulled away, sobbing incoherencies about "didn't know" and "love you" and "never forget". I got the message and just hugged her again, gluing her to me. "Love you too, sweetie," I murmured. At my words she pulled away and rubbed her eyes rapidly before turning to the piano. Before I could say anything she started playing. She might not be as good as me but she knew this song off by heart. It was our song, _Two Worlds Collide_. We were both crying by the end of it, both in each other's arms, promising to see each other soon. God, if this was how we were today, I didn't even want to imagine how we would be tomorrow when we had to say goodbye.

"Um, Kim?" I heard from the door and I looked up to see Nick there. Abbey immediately pulled away from me and rubbed her eyes without looking at Nick. I wiped away my own tears just as Nick said softly with a cautious look on his face, "It's time to go." I nodded and stood, pulling my friend to her feet. I dragged her to the closest bathroom, knowing that she would want to clean up before anyone saw her. Once we were ready, it was time to leave.

The trip to the theatre was made in three cars. Two for the Sorrentino family plus Abbey and Addison and one for the Danvers family. Karl, Hope and Morgan would meet us there. I rode in my mate's car with him, Abbey and Noah and went in the front passenger seat while my mate drove. Despite his reassuring smiles and laughs, I could still smell the nervousness coming off of my mate, which almost rivalled mine which was building up dramatically as we neared the City.

I knew what he was nervous about. It was the same thing my father was worried about. They were afraid that Turner would show up tonight. It was possible, very possible. If he had been following us around, then he would know that I went to the music academy and it was very probable that he would know about tonight. That or he was following us right now. Either way, if he turned up tonight, we all had orders to take him out swiftly and silently. Nor mercy would be shown on the man who had hurt so many Pack members.

The butterflies in my stomach took flight as we entered the city and my mate took a hand off the steering wheel to lay it on my thigh, rubbing gently to reassure me. To be honest I was more nervous about the show than the possibility of Turner showing up. I was about to bare my soul before the entire Pack. Even Morgan and Karl had been called in for extra security. With Noah still injured and the kids here, the Alpha was not taking any chances. One mutt alone could not go against the entire Pack. That would be just suicidal.

Reese brought the car to a stop at the theatre doors and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my growing nerves. "You'll be okay, amor," Reese said as he squeezed my knee. He knew how difficult this was going to be for me. I was about to show my true self before people I barely knew and hardly trusted, and even though they were my Pack, I was still scared of judgement. I took another deep breath and nodded before getting out.

I hopped out of the car in my three inch heels and held onto Addison's hand, who was already waiting at the car door for me. I wasn't even allowed to go three meters without an escort but I couldn't really care when the growing nerves were starting to make me tremble. We quickly went inside and Addison led me backstage to my dressing room. Just like last time, he had to help me dress because I was just too nervous to do it myself. The only reason Max wasn't here with him was because his arm was still injured, though he could at least move it now, but he would be useless in combat.

In no time at all it seemed I was dressed in my first outfit and on stage, waiting for the curtain to be lifted. The stage was the only place that I was without any Pack member or Addison. Well, Addison was just backstage waiting for me to get the first number over with and then he would escort me back and forth from my dressing room.

The first performance came and went, though the difference in my body was noticeable. As soon as the curtain had been lifted, my body had relaxed and adrenaline had started running through my veins. Numbers two and three only increased the adrenaline rush. But as I went backstage to change for my last performance, nerves started eating at my insides despite my excitement.

"Relax, Kim, or I won't take you gay shopping," Addison smiled as he dressed me in the white dress I had chosen for the last number. It looked a lot like the one Demi had worn in the video clip. I tried to smile at Addison's threat but I didn't quite manage it. The light brown sandals came next, a touch of hairspray for my hair and then I was ready, at least physically.

I stood just off stage, waiting for the number before mine to finish. Addison was beside me, my hand in his as he squeezed it lightly. I briefly thought that later Reese would want to reclaim me but I pushed the thought aside as the realization of what I was about to do hit me.

I was about to show everyone in the theatre, including my Pack, my family, who I really was. My past and present were about to be laid out before me and before everyone else, giving them free rein to judge me. I inhaled deeply and tried to relax but it wasn't working, so instead I thought about my mate. He had said that he loved me just the way I am. So why should I care what everyone else thinks? I shouldn't care and I don't think I did, but it was instinct to think of how I would be judged. It was just so engrained in me that it would still be a while before it disappeared.

"Break a leg," Addison grinned before my hand another tight squeeze and he took off on stage as the performers of the previous number left.

I took another deep breath and tried to let adrenaline take over my body, but it didn't work either. Though I knew that once I got on stage it would come whether I wanted it to or not. I watched as Addison went to stand at the edge of the stage mic in hand as the curtain fell behind him. Nervously I walked over to where the technicians were preparing my standing mic and stood behind it, just as Addison's voice boomed through the theatre.

I heard Addison tell the audience about Demi Lovato's bullying, the kids at her school making her believe she was fat, about the problems it developed in her—bulimia, self-harming and anorexia—and how she later went into treatment when they become too much with once she was famous and felt the pressure to be perfect. He then compared Demi's story to the one of a girl who was also bullied but suffered severe lack of confidence, body image problems and overeating.

My insides squirmed at his words, knowing that the song would just be interpreted as a love song rather than what it really was without this explanation. A song of strength and power. Once he told the audience how both girls were now in recovery, one after going to treatment and one thanks to her family, he revealed that I was the other girl. I pushed back the horror of everyone knowing my story and lowered my head as the lights went out and the curtain was lifted.

Antonio POV

Addison's words had left me resembling a statue glued to the theatre seat, but as soon as the curtain was lifted and my daughter started singing, tears started forming in my eyes. Before my children had arrived, I had never been one for crying, but it seemed inevitable with them, especially with Kim and Max. If my father had seen me now, he would have given me a good beating to man me up but he wasn't here and the only person who seemed to notice that I was crying was Jeremy. He laid a hand on my arm but said nothing as we both watched the stage.

What I wouldn't give to have met Kim before and to have been able to save her from her tormentors. I had wished that so many times but every time I knew that it was useless wishing. All I could be grateful for now was that she was here with me and the Pack and that she was safe and alive.

As my daughter sang, I could see how much she had grown in these past few months. She was stronger, so much stronger than we had first met and so much more free. My princess dominated the song and the audience with the power in her voice and the strength in her stance as she told all of us that she was rising from the ground like a skyscraper. She made me so proud of her.

Towards the end of the song my princess was glassy eyed and I saw her blink to force back the tears. Reese beside me had his fists clenched and I knew that as soon as the song was over that he would go to her. The song was so powerful and emotional coming from my daughter that it was hard not to feel moved. Reese would want to go to her to reassure himself that Kim was okay after spiling her emotions and fears on the stage. I would go to, but I'm sure Reese had private ways to reassure both Kim and himself that she was okay and that he loved her.

The audience was brought to their feet as tears started running down Kim's face and she hit the high notes at the end of the song. I stood with them, wiping at my own tears, and saw Reese doing the same beside me. If anyone could break through Reese's thick shell and make him cry, it was my daughter, his mate.

The song ended and the crowd cheered endlessly even after Kim walked off the stage, tears still pouring down her face. The moment she disappeared Reese took off. I mentally sighed, though I was beyond happy that they were mated. They would be able to help each one another to rise above their pasts, but we, the Pack, would be there for them as well.

Kim POV

Despite the tears that streamed down my face, I felt elated and alive and bursting with energy. Addison hugged me fiercely once I got off the stage and everyone we encountered as he led me back to my dressing room congratulated me on my performance, but I saw and heard it all through a haze of emotions that ran through me, drowning me in happiness. I was free.

Reese POV

I walked as quickly as possible without actually running towards Kim's dressing room. I wasn't sure how Kim would be when I got there, but however she felt I knew that the adrenaline rush would be there, just like last time. I could still remember the smell of it mixed with the smell of her arousal. Last time I had had to rein in all my impulses so as to not move in on her while she was high. Tonight I wouldn't have to do that which was good because I needed to claim her after I saw her rip her heart out on stage.

I reached her door an eternity later and knocked. Addison's voice called me in and I walked into the room to find Kim in her skin coloured underwear, smiling at me from the couch. She jumped up and strode over to me, kissing me hungrily, the smell of her excitement thick in the air.

I pushed her back gently and looked over at Addison who was rolling his eyes at us. Kim was definitely high if she was in underwear in front of Addison who wasn't even Pack, but I guess his being gay helped with that. But just like last time Kim was acting very unlike herself. Still, the cocktail of smells that wafted from her was so arousing that I knew that I would not be able to contain my impulses tonight.

I caught Addison's eye and jerked my head towards the door. He grinned and walked out without a word, closing the door behind him. As soon as the door was closed, I leaned down and kissed Kim, moving her gently back towards the couch. She moaned softly and I hardened as I ground her up against the back of the sofa.

The door behind us suddenly flew open and whipped around to see Alex, the fucking pestering human. Anger roared through me at being interrupted and the wolf growled furiously as Alex's eyes trailed over my mate and then down at my arousal.

"Sorry. I, er…," he started to say and then suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Isn't he, um, your brother, Kim?" he asked, looking at my mate, his gaze obviously not on her face.

"Foster brother," my mate said without missing a beat and stood beside me, taking my hand in hers, rubbing it gently, soothing the wolf instantly. She could obviously smell the anger coming from me and she knew better than anyone what calmed me best. Her.

Alex stared at her for a moment and then he glared at me. Before I could meet the challenge his eyes held, he stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him.

The moment the door had closed, Kim let me go and went over to the dresser, leaning back against it so I had a good view of her body. My arousal grew tenfold instantly and I started walking over towards her when reason peeked through my brain and I stopped in my tracks.

Would normal Kim mind having sex in her dressing room? I couldn't be sure, but Kim on a high obviously didn't. The smell of her arousal was calling to me very loudly. She gazed curiously at me, cocking her head to the side, not understanding my hesitancy. She suddenly grinned widely and without a word she reached behind her and unclasped the skin coloured bra and let it fall down to her feet. That was all it took to break through my indecision.

I practically ran at her and ground her against the dresser as I reached down and kissed her hard. The smell of her arousal mixed with the smell of her adrenaline and female werewolf scent had the same effect on me as it had last time, but this time I didn't have to rein it all in. I could let go and take my mate as mine, reassuring us both that this was real. After what I had seen on stage I needed to feel her again, to know that she was okay, and smelling Addison on her only intensified the need to reclaim her after seeing Alex.

For once her hands didn't go up to my hair but instead went straight down to my pants, yanking the shirt out. She started undoing the buttons hastily and I shrugged off the suit jacket. She growled lowly half way up and then ripped the upper buttons only to find the tie around my neck. Growling myself now, I undid the tie and threw to the ground, but Kim was already undoing my pants. She pulled them down a bit and I pulled her up to the dresser, flower bouquets, hair brushes and makeup boxes sprawling to the floor.

I yanked on her panties and they snapped from the force. Kim didn't even seem to care as she pushed hard against me while pulling my boxers down. I was still half dressed when the scent of feminine arousal washed over me and I stopped trying to finish undressing.

I plunged into her hard enough to push her back onto the dresser a couple of inches, but I quickly pulled her back to me, going in deeper. She moaned and clung onto my neck as she sought out my lips. She kissed me fiercely as I started thrusting even harder and faster into her. We finished so quickly, even for us, that I was sure that we had set a new world record.

"I love you," she murmured into my ear as I grinded into her one last time before slowly pulling out. She looked as dazed as I felt and didn't seem at all affected by the mess at our feet. She looked down on it and just shrugged. Not normal Kim behaviour, I knew, though the smell of her adrenaline had died down considerably after our extremely short session.

"I love you too," I said and leaned down into her neck, kissing it gently. I felt her shiver at the contact and smelt her arousal grow once more. I groaned and thought about moving us to the couch when the crushing sound of applause reached our ears.

"I think I should get dressed," Kim sighed and pulled away from me. "The others will be here soon." I nodded and then let her down, giving her some space so she could get dressed or I was likely to delay her some more.

While she dressed I picked up the things we had dropped during our arousal and then tried and failed to fix my shirt, but thankfully the tie covered the missing buttons on the upper half of it. As Kim finished dressing I sent a text to Antonio, asking him to take everyone to a nearby coffee room instead of bringing them here to Kim's dressing room. My mate hadn't asked me to get her out of her dressing room, but I knew that she would not want everyone in there like last time since this time it smelled like sex and arousal. Not that anyone would expect less since I took off before the show ended, but she was still uneasy about the whole sex thing when with others, even if she was still a little high.

Once she was ready, I took her hand and started leading her out of the room. "Where are we going?" she asked as I guided her down the hall, but I just smiled and nodded to the double open doors. The sound of the twins' laughter reached our ears and Kim suddenly stopped in her tracks and pulled me around so I was facing her. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed me gently before pulling back with a "Thank you."

"Anytime," I grinned and took her hand again, taking her to our awaiting family. I caught a whiff of my scent on her and both my wolf and I were pleased with that fact. Well, I smelled like Kim too, but I'm not sure if she felt as territorial as I did, being a bitten wolf sometimes led to her instincts not being as engrained as mine were but they were still there. I gripped her hand tighter in mine, feeling the mate bond between us growing ever stronger.

Kim POV

Feeling a little dazed still, I stepped into the coffee room and was immediately assaulted. Abbey's scent engulfed me as her body trembled against mine, her sobs and tears letting the water floods run loose. I held my best friend in my arms as she cried into me and tears fell down my face without control.

"Thank you," I whispered into Abbey's hair, reminding her of what she had done for me and how she was also one of the reasons I could now stand tall, like a skyscraper. I was only faintly aware of the Pack around us, but I couldn't bring myself to care that they were seeing me cry. They wouldn't judge me and I knew it.

Abbey sobbed loudly at my words and then pulled away, stuttering an "I love you" before going over to Noah and collapsing into his arms. I saw him rub circles into her back, using the calming techniques we used at home, and then my vision was obscured with flowers, chocolate boxes and a variety of gifts. My mate grinned from beside me as tears threatened to fall once more and wrapped an arm around me, just as the Pack moved in closer to congratulate me.

Turner POV

If I were a patient hunter, then maybe I would have waited for this day to take Rachel back, but I wanted her back so badly that my attempts so far had been futile. Ever since I had started threatening the Pack with local deaths, my love had been guarded almost 24/7, so I had barely been able to approach her, less so since I tried to take her while she was with the pups.

My plan to lead her to me using the pups was shot to hell because the younger one had been accompanied by a sorcerer and I had been too slow to take the other one, giving Rachel and the other Pack member to get to me before I could take the pup. They had both been injured so they had been moved to Stonehaven. I had followed but I hadn't dared act when the most feared werewolf in North America held guard around them every second of every hour, even on the little ones.

Just when I decided to get back to New York and wait for the opportune moment she showed up. My Rachel came to me, but it wasn't her. As soon as I saw her at the airport I had known better than to think that she had come to me so we could be together. She believed herself to be this Kim girl and was part of the North American Pack. She hadn't gone to the airport so we could finally be together. No, she had gone with the Pack to take me down. It hurt me to hurt her, but I knew that she would forgive me once she remembered who she was. I still didn't know how I was going to make her remember but I would figure that out once I had her with me.

I was just a door down from where the entire Pack was congregated in one of the coffee rooms and I could hear them congratulating Rachel—Kim—on her performance. She was talented, but my Rachel had not been a singer, so the Pack had obviously done a better job at brainwashing her than I had thought.

Suddenly I heard footsteps coming from down the hallway from where the Pack was and heard the laughter of two boys. They came towards where I was hiding and I listened in on their conversation. I heard enough to know that one was Max and the other was Noah, the Pack pups. I grinned to myself. Maybe all wasn't lost just yet. Just as I waited behind the door to spring on them when they were close enough I heard a male voice calling them back and then scolding them for taking off alone. I growled to myself and kicked one of the storage boxes furiously. Not even the pups were being left alone.

I started pacing in the small storage room and tried to make up a plan. They weren't leaving her alone, not even to go to the bathrooms. The entire Pack was here and I somehow needed to get them to leave her unguarded or almost unguarded. I could handle a lone werewolf. I needed a distraction or a scene that would make them scatter or to come looking for me.

I instantly stopped in my tracks and smiled to myself. Yes, I would make them go looking for me. Rachel would be taken elsewhere for safety no doubt; all I had to do was follow them. I was armed only with a pocket knife but it had proven to be very useful. If I caused a scene, the entire Pack would come hunting to put an end to the threat, just like they had my father.

I was just thinking of how best to execute my plan when I heard footsteps coming towards me from down the hallway and then the door suddenly flew open.

"Oh, sorry. I was looking for the…," the girl trailed off as she stared at me and then her eyes went wide when she recognized me. I knew who she was too. Before she could so much as blink, I grabbed her and threw her back into the room, closing the door behind me. She tried to scream, but I covered her mouth. Ignoring her attempts at biting me and her fighting arms, I pushed down on the pressure point on her neck and she was out like a light.

I stood and looked down at the girl that had been with one of the pups when I had tried to take him. I had tried to kill her and lost precious time, but now that I really thought about it I had been stupid. Very stupid. I had watched from a distance that night and it had been obvious that my Rachel and this girl were close, maybe as close as her Pack brother.

I leaned back against the wall and thought furiously as I surveyed the girl. The human could be an interesting asset into getting Rachel back, both her physically and her memory. I needed to move her though. I was wearing a very unhealthy dose of cologne to hide my scent, but the Pack would soon be out to look for her if she didn't go back soon.

I lifted her prone form easily and left the room quickly, moving as fast as I dared and avoided everyone I could. Those that I couldn't avoid were placated with the words "too much to drink". Silly humans. Within moments I was outside and had her in my car. By the time I got back to the storage room, the Pack was still in the coffee room and had been joined by some other performers who were also congratulating Rachel—or Kim as they called her.

I chanced leaving the room and did a sweep of the area surrounding the coffee room and found some props several feet away from the coffee room and hid behind them. From here I was able to see right into the coffee room and know when they started their search. It wouldn't be long now.

As I waited for them to start moving I took a good look around, searching for anymore possible Pack member since I did not know the exact number. I scanned the area a couple of times but on the third one I spotted a young male, maybe about my age, looking furiously towards where the Pack was. I glanced back at the Pack and saw Rachel being kissed by a blonde werewolf, the one that had been with her at the airport. Instant fury surged through me at seeing that my territory was being violated and my wolf growled viciously, but I held it all back. I would deal with the violator later.

I turned my attention back to the male who was about as furious as me it seemed and curiosity won over for a moment. Wolves were very curious creatures after all. I strode over to him, making sure to keep out of sight of the Pack. He didn't seem to notice I was beside him when I reached him so I asked, "What did they do to you?" The guy jumped slightly and then glared at me, the smell of his anger thick in the air.

"What's it to you?" he growled, his brown eyes cold with fury. I regarded him for a moment, ignoring his glare and the challenge they held. It was easy to do this since I did not feel threatened by him, though my wolf still called for me to accept the challenge.

"They are not very good people," I said simply and saw surprise flash through his eyes.

"No, they are not. Especially Kim," he growled now and turned his glare back to the Pack.

"What did she do?" I asked and got a glare for an answer. I growled inwardly and I knew that time was running out. This boy could be useful if I played my cards out right. If Rachel came searching, she wouldn't do it alone.

"She played me," he said suddenly, still looking over at the Pack. "She used me to get to him," he growled and pointed at the blonde wolf. Then he murmured something under his breath about a brother, but it was too soft for me to make out.

"You too, huh?" I said and hated myself for defiling Rachel like this, but I needed the boy. She would forgive me once we were reunited. The guy instantly turned around at my words and took me in for the first time. I grinned and shrugged, playing my part to a tee. "She's just like that, a player. From what I hear she had hurt a lot of guys like that. Uses them and then leaves them like trash." Sorry, my love.

The boy nodded and the smell of his anger intensified, I hid my grin now and thought quickly about how best to do this. "I want to talk to her and tell her that I had to go see a shrink because of her, but her family won't let me anywhere near her." And that was all the invitation he needed. My wolf paraded in victory and I told the boy—Alex—what the plan was. If he had a problem with it he made no sign of it. He was very pissed with my love it seems.

As Alex left, I turned my attention back to the Pack and grinned. It was time to go hunting.

Kim POV

I remembered the last time I had performed on stage that the adrenaline rush had taken hours to die down, but sex seemed to help take the edge off for which I was grateful. I always felt very unlike myself when I was high like that and did things I normally wouldn't do. Like have sex in my dressing room—not that I regretted it though, it had been beyond amazing, but much too quick.

I took a look around at the Pack, noticing that Abbey was gone, but she had probably just gone to the bathroom or something. I adjusted the bouquet of red roses in my hands, still feeling dazed from the rush. It had died down with sex but it was still there, just not as strong as before. As patiently as I could, I talked to each of my fellow academy companions and Julliard applicants. After the tenth one, my mate growled and I knew that we both just wanted to go home and have another—though definitely much longer—session.

"Shit," I swore as the last group of congratulators left the room. My mate turned to me with a raised eyebrow, obviously surprised by my use of language. "My phone. I left it back in the dressing room." And god knew where it was now. It had been on the dresser before Reese had come to see me and now it could be under the couch or in the bin.

Despite everyone's relaxed expressions I knew that they were all on the look out for Turner, so my mate and father guarded me as we went back to my dressing room. We were almost at the door when I was called from behind. I turned to see Alex approaching, looking warily at my companions. He reached us and I could smell anger still coming off of him. I couldn't blame him. I hadn't been very nice but it was either that or have his head ripped off by my mate.

"Can we talk, Kim? Just you and me?" he asked and glanced at my mate and then at my father, both of whom had their wolves in full view, though Alex wouldn't recognize what it was. He would just see the predator in their eyes that was very, very protective of me. It took me less than a moment to decide that I had to do this. I owed him that much at least.

"Sure. Um…," I said and glanced at my father, the wolf needing permission from the older wolf. He nodded and gestured at my dressing room door. He went in before me and took a good look—sniff—around and then made sure that the window could only be opened from the inside before letting us in.

I smiled and then led Alex to the dressing room which still smelled of sex, but Alex wouldn't be able to pick it up. My father would have smelt it though. I forced that thought out of my head before I started to panic and stepped into the room. I walked over to the couch and kneeled, looking under it to see my phone there. I mentally sighed and got back up. I turned to Alex and froze.

"What are you doing?" I asked, sounding as if the air had been knocked out of me. He had propped a chair up against the doorknob so no one without werewolf strength would be able to come in.

"I don't want to be interrupted," he said and took a step towards me. I held my ground and glared at him, but said nothing. It's not like he would be able to hurt me, but he was starting to creep me out.

Without a word he came towards me and I stepped aside and he bypassed me to go straight to the window. He unlatched it and threw it up as far as it would go. I stared at him dumbfounded. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I would prefer that closed," I said, but he just shrugged and came to stand beside me, invading my personal space.

"I have a friend of mine that would like to talk to you," he said, the smell of anger suddenly flaring from him. I took a step away from him just as a figure fell through the window. It wasn't until I really looked at him that I actually recognized him. He had shaved his hair off and the smell of a foul smelling cologne hid his scent from me.

For a moment I froze and my mind went blank as it struggled to understand how Turner had gotten here. Before I could react, Turner pounced. He took me down covering my mouth so I couldn't scream and made sure to soften our landing so it wouldn't be heard from outside. Turner pinned me down with his weight while one of his hands covered my mouth and the other started pressing down on my neck.

Unconsciousness threatened and I tried to keep my eyes open but it was no use. It was almost completely dark when I heard Alex say something about this not being the plan. Turner grunted and I was able to see Alex for a moment before he tried to get Turner off of me. Turner growled and jumped off of me and tackled Alex. I tried to move, but my head was spinning and black dots were dancing before my eyes. But that didn't stop me from seeing Turner snap Alex's head.

"No," I gasped and tried to stand but was forced down by Turner once more. For one, ephemeral moment fear and anger coursed through me before I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head when Turner threw me to the floor and all went dark.


	34. Ch 34 Gone

**Fearless is the direct sequel to Unbroken, but it will not contain any spoilers so it can be ready safely without knowing the end of Unbroken. It is being published before Unbroken is finished because Kim will have her own story to tell towards the end of The Way to Live. **

* * *

><p><strong>Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled <strong>**Strong Part 4.**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her new story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

_*A special thanks to Nevaeh717 for the awesome feedback and support._

**Leave Out All The Rest – Linkin Park**

I dreamt I was missing, you were so scared  
>But no one would listen, 'cause no one else cared<br>After my dreaming, I woke with this fear:  
>What am I leaving when I am done here?<br>So if you're asking me,  
>I want you to know….<p>

When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done  
>Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed<br>And don't resent me, when you're feeling empty  
>Keep me in your memory, and leave out all the rest<br>Leave out all the rest; don't be afraid

I've taken my beating, I've shared what I've made  
>I'm strong on the surface, not all the way through<br>I've never been perfect, but neither have you  
>So if you're asking me,<br>I want you to know….

When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done  
>Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed<br>Don't resent me, and when you're feeling empty  
>Keep me in your memory, and leave out all the rest<br>Leave out all the rest…

Forgetting all the hurt inside that you've learned to hide so well  
>Pretending someone else can come and save me from myself<br>I can't be who you are  
>When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done<br>Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed  
>Don't resent me, and when you're feeling empty<br>Keep me in your memory, leave out all the rest  
>Leave out all the rest…<p>

Forgetting all the hurt inside you've learned to hide so well  
>Pretending someone else can come and save me from myself<br>I can't be who you are  
>I can't be who you are…<p>

Ch 34 Gone

Reese POV

I did not like it one bit that my mate was in the room alone with the human that wanted her, especially after smelling the anger that had been coming off of him before. But I knew that if he got out of hand, my mate could take him, though I would rather be the one to put him in his place. Kim was mine and mine alone and no one would touch her unless she wanted them to. I would make sure of it.

"Reese, calm down," Antonio ordered as he leaned against the wall in front of me, obviously having caught on to the smell of my anger. I looked up at him and caught the sight of his wolf in his eyes and instantly looked away. He was on high alert, so it was best not to challenge him. I could even see through his relaxed posture to see the tensing of his shoulders that told me he was ready to kill.

I leaned back against my own wall with the door to Kim's dressing room right beside me and brushed a hand through my hair. Kim had been in there for less than a minute and I was already starting to get anxious. Being away from my mate when there was a danger on the loose—one that was after her specifically—did not sit at all well with my wolf. As soon as she talked with the brain dead human, I would not leave her side for barely more than a second until Turner was caught.

I was just about to start pacing to rid myself of some of my tension when a crack erupted from within Kim's dressing room. I recognized the sound instantly. It was the sound of one of the werewolves' favourite killing techniques. Neck snapping.

I spun around towards the door, the wolf within me preparing for battle as fear and panic threatened to take over. I turned the doorknob roughly, but it didn't budge. I was just about to turn it harder when I was suddenly pushed aside and Antonio growled deeply as he went to turn the doorknob, but I never saw it happen.

Pain shot through the back of my head, making my knees buckle, and I collapsed to the floor, my head spinning out of control as if I had spent the entire night drinking, the effects coming all at once instead of gradually. I blinked hard, but the dizziness didn't disappear. I tried to get up, knowing that these effects weren't coming from me but from my mate bond. My mate was in danger; I needed to get to her. But it was useless. My legs refused to hold me up.

I felt strong hands pull me up as another pair tried to hold me steady while I found my footing. I tried to speak and almost vomited. Voices and shouts sounded around me and I was numbly aware of the door beside me being ripped to pieces. I yanked hard on the grip that held me tight and strode over to the door, moving as an alcoholic would. Someone tried to hold me back, but it was too late. My wolf roared.

Antonio POV

I heard shouts and a pain filled howl behind me, but the noise died down as I flung myself over the windowsill and into the cold and dark night, hearing tires skid over asphalt as I started to run. I was met with a cold breeze, but it didn't stop me as I ran across the almost deserted parking lot, following the backlights of my target. I could just make out the license plate, but then the van reached the road and I lost it from sight.

"No," I gasped and sped up, but it was no use. I reached the road and leaned over, bringing my hands down to my thighs as I breathed hard. No. I looked up down the road where the car had gone, but it was nowhere in sight. I had failed. I failed you, princess.

My hands shook with anger and my wolf was storming within, demanding that we follow the mutt. Thankfully, I had had years to establish tight reins over him so I was able to push him back until I could barely feel his bloodlust, barely.

A passing car honked at me and I growled despite myself and turned around. I ran back to the window to Kim's dressing room, sweat making the shirt cling to me. Kim was gone and I knew who had her. And I had a license plate number. I would get to her and soon, but I knew—and so did my wolf—that we had another problem right then.

Even before I reached the window I could already hear the sounds of struggle. I pulled myself into the room and found Karl pinning Reese against the floor, pinning my son's arms behind his back and pressing his knee into his back. Reese was roaring beneath him, sometimes words and sometimes not. Tears fell down his face despite the anger that his eyes held and his shouts held a note of pain that was crystal clear with my werewolf hearing.

I watched him for a moment and my heart went out to him, knowing that if I was angry, he was ready to kill every living thing within sight. Or so his wolf told me which was in full view. In fact, I could see Reese's features start to deform, his skin shimmering as the first stages of the Change began. Karl was struggling to hold down my son and I knew that we didn't have a choice. I strode over to them and kneeled.

"I'm sorry," I murmured into Reese's ear as he screamed for us to let him go and then brought my fist down on the back of his head. He collapsed against the floor face first and Karl let go of his arms and got off of him, dusting imaginary dust off of himself.

"Well?" he said and looked over at me with a raised eyebrow. I saw Morgan watching me as well and Nick came over to Reese and kneeled down beside him, muttering a "Sorry, buddy."

"Gone," I said softly. Nick looked up at me, fear clouding his eyes for a moment before he got it under control. Karl nodded and kept his face neutral as he turned back to the room. He didn't know Kim very well, but she was Pack and Karl's wolf understood that they had to protect her since she was just a child, no matter how much he disliked it. Morgan, who had barely made an acquaintance with Kim, was looking at a loss and seemed to be just waiting for orders. I motioned to him and then gestured towards the room, my eyes falling down on the body, the smell of death and sex filling the air. "Let's get this cleaned up."

Gently, I patted the earth that I had just placed into the recently dug grave. I hated burying children, but it had to be done. His head being snapped the way it had been could not be explained so easily to the forensics. Modern technology made it difficult to hide werewolf kills unfortunately, so the poor boy's family would never know what happened to him, just that he disappeared.

I stood with the shovel in hand and Nick muttered something indecipherable under his breath as he followed suit. We started making our way down the dark path and back to the house, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

Anger still ran through me, but I had it under control at least, though it ignited easily when I thought of Turner. He had managed to hide himself from us back at the theatre, burying his scent under litres of cheap cologne. He had killed Alex and taken Kim. We had tried to get into the room the moment we heard a neck snap, but Reese's momentary daze had halted me. Nick, Morgan and Karl had arrived right at that moment, having been sent by Jeremy who no doubt had sensed danger. But it was too late.

I had failed twice tonight, with Kim and with Abbey. Abbey was like Kim's sister and had thus been under my protection tonight and I failed miserably. I had been too focused on my daughter to worry about her and so had the Pack which had also focused on protecting the pups, but not the human. Noah had given the alarm shortly before Jeremy had sent the reinforcements to us, telling us that Abbey was missing. Only once Kim's dressing room had been cleaned did we actually start looking for her. We found her scent back in the coffee room and followed it down the hall where it disappeared into the stink of cheap cologne in a storage room which then led all the way outside. The room hadn't smelt of death, so she was alive, for now.

Kim's dressing room had smelled of death though, because of Turner, but it had also smelled strongly of sex. Reese had engrained his scent in Kim and vice versa. This did nothing to help extinguish my growing fears. If Turner got close enough to her to smell Reese on her, then I had no idea what he would do. Would he kill her for being with another man? He believed Kim to be Rachel, so would he see it as unfaithfulness? Or would he set out to kill Reese instead?

"It's not your fault," my son repeated for the millionth time. I said nothing and just kept walking, shifting the shovel over my shoulder. It was my fault and I knew it. I had decided to leave her alone for just one moment and that was all it took. Granted, the scents in the room told us that Alex had opened the window from the inside, allowing Turner in—though whether he did so willingly or not, we didn't know. But I had been the one to decide to leave her alone with him in the room. He obviously hadn't had very good intentions because he had been the one to place the chair behind the door, hindering us for a few seconds longer. Still, it was my fault and mine alone.

We reached the edge of the forest that surrounded our house and instantly heard the sounds of screams and shouts. Immediately we started running back to the house, dropping the shovels to move more quickly. We ran through the front doors and through the house, following the sounds of commotion to Kim's bedroom where Elena was watching the situation with a resigned look. Reese had woken it seemed.

Reese POV

"Let me go," I roared from under Clay, but he just pulled my arms up higher against my back, making me wince in pain. I struggled to break free of his grip, but it was pointless. It seemed that Clay was able to hold me down without much effort, but I just kept wriggling under him, needing to break free. Kim needed me.

"Either calm down or I clock you," Clay growled from above me. I struggled for a moment more and then stopped moving. Awkwardly, Clay rolled us and then pinned me so I was facing him. His blue eyes gleamed with the wolf, shoving mine back forcefully but not entirely. I knew that it would be more than impossible to get my wolf to back down tonight. Once my wolf was pushed back I submitted to Clay and then to Antonio when he stepped into my field of vision.

Clay let me up and as soon as I was free I backed away from them so I could look at them all at the same time, my wolf not trusting anyone in that moment to have someone behind my back. My wolf growled furiously within and I ached with the need of my mate. Kim was gone. I clenched my fists and tried to fight the feeling of emptiness that filled me but it was useless. With Kim gone I had lost a part of myself, half of my soul, my mind and my heart. My mate was a part of me and I was a part of her and I was lost without her. I felt like I was drifting through space, through the vast emptiness of the universe, and I was all alone.

I suddenly realized that I was alone with Antonio and that Clay, Elena and Nick had left, but I hadn't seen them leave—I was too preoccupied with the immense emptiness that now filled me with my mate gone. Without a word, Antonio walked over to the bed and sat, leaving me standing. I unclenched my fists and tried to force calm into my body, but my wolf was roaring within me, demanding that we go find our mate right now, though I knew I needed to relax before I did such a thing. I might hurt others if I was out of control which is why Antonio had no doubt knocked me out back at the theatre.

"I'm sorry," Antonio said. I frowned at him before I understood. I growled lowly, shaking my head, and started pacing to ease some of the tension. Though my wolf was beginning to calm a bit, his anger was now giving way to despair. I suddenly felt like crying.

"It's not your fault," I growled and stopped pacing for a moment, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths. I would not despair. I would not be able to find my mate like that. I clenched my fists again and found the wolf's anger and let it consume me. Right then I needed anger. Maybe not the wisest choice, but despair would leave me helpless and my mate needed me. I took a deep breath and started pacing again.

"It's mine," I said and was answered with a growl that I returned. Kim was my mate and she was mine to protect. But I understood that Antonio was the Alpha here in our household and that as her father he would feel the need to protect her. But we all protected her, even our little brothers, and yet she had been taken.

Rage built up dangerously within me and before I could stop myself I spun around and faced Antonio. "What the fuck are we still doing here? Why aren't we out looking for her?" I roared. My wolf felt like he was in a frenzy and I had to work hard to keep him under wraps. I needed to be careful or I could easily turn into a danger if I lost control of my wolf and then I would not be allowed to go on the search for my Kim.

Antonio then explained that we were waiting for Jeremy to call us down before we started our search. I growled and started to argue when he cut me off with devastating news. Abbey was gone as well. I stiffened as a wave of anger washed over me and I forced myself to sit down next to Antonio. His dominance would help me keep the wolf under control for now. I nodded grimly, keeping my eyes on the floor, as he told me what they had found back at the theatre.

Silence fell between us when Antonio finished informing me and I was still trying to get my wolf and anger under control when a knock came at the door. The door opened and my wolf whined at seeing Noah. His eyes were red and his expression grim and tear stained. He strode over to us slowly and when he reached us, I instantly stood and took him in my arms, comforting him and letting him comfort the wolf with his presence. Noah fell into my arms with a stifled sob and his body started shaking. Antonio stood silently and laid a hand on Noah's shoulder in silent comfort.

My wolf calmed somewhat within me at Noah's touch, feeling reassured that we were able to help him. Being older than Noah, I felt the wolf's instinct to protect the younger generation since I was the oldest within it. Being able to comfort Noah alleviated some of that protective instinct, but I could still feel the mate bond pulling strongly at me. My mate felt the instinct to protect as well, proving that our mate bond was stronger than even Clay and Elena's at times. I had even known when my mate had been hurt, or knocked out.

"Get some rest," I heard ordered from the door and I looked up to see Jeremy there. As always he held no expression on his face, but I knew that he, just like me and every other dominant in the Pack, was beyond pissed that one of ours had been taken. "We are all too tired tonight, so we set out tomorrow." I growled despite myself, but Jeremy just lifted a hand, pulling his wolf out and forcing mine to back down. "You are forbidden from going after Turner without my permission, Reese Williams. Am I clear?" It was impossible to disobey him when he used his Alpha voice, so I reluctantly nodded and then bared my neck to the Alpha, giving him my absolute submission.

Satisfied, Jeremy came over and laid a hand on Noah's other shoulder. My weeping brother hadn't even moved an inch since Jeremy had walked into the room and didn't seem to acknowledge Antonio's or the Alpha's comfort. I had never seen Noah so attached to a girl since I knew him the way he was to Abbey. So much so that I was even beginning to think that they might be mates. If that was the case, then the tears would soon give way to anger.

Jeremy and Antonio left a while later, leaving me alone with my little brother. I knew that we both wanted to start the search now, but I also knew that we were tired and it was late—or very early. So it was better to wait until tomorrow morning to begin the hunt. And then the smell of blood would fill the air.

I held Noah tightly against me, letting him comfort my wolf—though that didn't mean he stopped raging. The only thing that would truly calm my wolf right then was my mate, but she was gone. The smell of her in her—our—room did nothing to soothe me. All it did was infuriate the wolf more with the knowledge that this was all we had of her.

Noah had stopped crying, but I still held him. I still felt like crying, but the anger I felt was overriding that need, especially when I thought of Turner and how I had given him the opportune moment when I left Kim alone. Right then I couldn't bring myself to feel sorry for Alex. Only once I had my mate back with me would I allow myself to feel for others, but I couldn't right in that moment. Only my brother's sorrow allowed me to feel for him, but nothing else.

I felt a little pain on the back of my head but I knew that it was from where Antonio had hit me to knock me out and not from the pain that I had felt from my mate bond. Now that I was more relaxed and so was my wolf I could think back on what had happened at the theatre. My Kim had been knocked unconscious, I was sure of it. The symptoms I had felt told me so and I also knew that would have the only way for Turner to have gotten her out of the building. Otherwise my mate would have wiped the floor with him before he could so much as lay a hand on her.

The door opened silently then and Max and Addison came in, grim-faced and tired-looking. Max looked like he had done some crying of his own and my heart went out to my little brother. He loved Kim so much. But as he neared I could smell anger coming off of him as well as from Addison. They probably weren't any happier with the decision of waiting until tomorrow to start the hunt than I was. Though I knew it was the more logical thing to do, it didn't mean I had to like it.

Turner wouldn't hurt her, not immediately at least. He loved her, or rather the girl he thought her to be. I tried not to think of what he would do to her once he realized that she wouldn't yield on the fact that she wasn't Rachel. Instead I focused on my brothers and future brother-in-law.

I shifted in the bed and they sat down, but I quickly lied down and they followed suit, leaving me the one closest to the door. Kim's absence was painfully evident as Addison took up her place on the other side of the bed, again the feeling of emptiness filling me. I tried and failed to not think about it and found myself trying to force the mate bond to tell me something to no avail. It was strong, as my almost blacking out when Kim had told me, but maybe it wasn't that strong or maybe Kim was still unconscious.

The Pack's silent comfort and Kim's lingering scent on the bed allowed me to relax enough to allow me to sleep, though not deeply. All I wanted was to go after Turner but I couldn't disobey the Alpha, my wolf wouldn't let me. Tomorrow though, no one would stop me from hunting and killing Turner. Tomorrow he would pay for everything that he had done to my family and to my mate. I would kill him, even if it was the last thing I did.

Kim POV

I kept my breathing even and forced myself to stay still despite the instinct to jump up and run. Everything that had happened before my blacking out flashed behind my eyes and tears threatened mercilessly, but I pushed them back with all my might. If I got through this, I would have all the time in the world to feel guilty and to mourn, but right then I needed to push it all aside to survive.

I kept my eyes closed, breathing slowly and inhaling the smells of the place I was in. All I could smell was cheap cologne, however. Fear banged on the doors within me, as did the wolf, but I held them both down. I could not lose it, not now. I had no idea where I was or where Turner was and I needed a clear mind to be able to handle him. He was crazy and I would need to be very, very careful or he could kill me even if he didn't want to.

Pain seared through the back of my head where it had hit the floor, but I ignored it. Worrying about pain wouldn't help me right then. I was fine—I think—so a little bruising wouldn't hurt.

I had my ears perked but I couldn't hear anything, so I slowly opened my eyes. It was dark and the room I was in didn't have a window. I assumed it was a room since I was lying on a very comfy bed that smelled disgustingly of Turner, so he had obviously been sleeping in it. Hopefully not while I was in it, though his scent was strong enough to suggest that he had been. I could at least be grateful that I could not smell sex, but I could smell arousal. I suppressed a shiver at the thought of what Turner could have done and turned my attention back to the present.

I raised my head a bit and it was only then that I realized that something tugged at my wrists. Light trickled from under the door and I could start to make out shapes, but all I could see was the bed and what looked like a dresser a few feet away. I looked down at my hands that were pulled close together and saw that they were handcuffed. Another tug told me that the handcuffs were tied to the bed somehow, but I couldn't see it. Turner thought me as a threat, I suddenly realized. He didn't want me dead but he knew that I didn't believe myself to be Rachel and knew that I was likely to kill him as soon as I got the chance.

Panic threatened now and the fear intensified. Nothing I could do helped me to calm down, so I thought of my mate. I needed to relax or might never see my mate again. I needed to think smart as my father always said. Turner wouldn't hurt me if he thought I was Rachel. I needed to play this right so I could give my Pack time to get here. No, I thought suddenly. I would not play freaking damsel in distress; I could not rely on my Pack because they might not even know where I was. I needed to find my own way out, with or without the Pack.

I wiggled on the bed and found that I could sit up and that my heels were gone, leaving me bare foot. I sat and pulled on the handcuffs, the metal warm from the contact with my skin. They jingled lightly and I heard a thump from somewhere outside of the room, followed closely by the sounds of heavy footsteps. The door opened and the light flicked on, momentarily blinding me. I squinted, allowing my eyes to adjust, and then looked at the man that had caused my Pack and me so much grief.

Turner's icy blue eyes surveyed me with longing. I held his gaze, my wolf rising instinctively within me. He didn't back down from me and I wasn't about to submit to him either. I couldn't. He was a mutt and I was Pack. He had to submit to me and the wolf knew it.

Without breaking eye contact, he came over to me and bent down so we were at eye level. I resisted the urge to growl at him and kept my face as passive as possible. He leaned closer to me, his eyes piercing right through me. I stayed still, inhaling his scent that made my wolf growl within me as she acknowledged the fact that we had a threat before us. As quick as lightning, Turner kissed me and I gasped from the force. Without thinking of the consequences, I bit down hard on his lip, tasting blood. With a deep growl, Turner pulled away and stood, staring down at me with anger in his eyes and his scent flared with the smell of it as a few drops of blood trickled down his chin. I spat out the taste of his blood and grimaced as the wolf roared for more.

"What do I have to do to make you remember who you are, my love? You are not one of them. The Pack doesn't care for you, only I do," he murmured and then sat down again, bringing a hand up to my cheek. I stopped myself from pulling back and just glared at him. So much for playing it smart.

He started leaning in again, as if a kiss would bring back my memories. "Kiss me again and I'll rip your head off," I growled. Anger flared in his eyes once more and his wolf came to the forefront, almost daring me to challenge him. He was more dominant than I had thought. Survival told me to keep my mouth shut and to just go with it, but my wolf wouldn't let me. No one touched me but my mate.

"The Pack will pay for breaking us apart," he vowed, his wolf flashing furiously behind his eyes. Suddenly I saw his nostrils flare and a frown creased his forehead. He leaned closer again but instead of going to my mouth he went down to my chest. I stayed absolutely still until he roared. I jumped despite myself and watched him as he stood and started pacing furiously in front of me, the stink of his rage thick in the air. I didn't need to ask what he had smelled on me. His anger told me everything I needed to know.

"He marked you," he growled furiously as he paced. When I didn't say anything, he spun and glared at me before his look turned soft and pain filled his eyes. "He claimed you as his when you're mine, my love," he whispered and I just stared blank faced at him. Best to keep my mouth shut before I made him angrier, though his anger was obviously not directed at me but at my Pack. I couldn't allow him to be angry at them or he might hurt them. I couldn't let that happen.

Without warning, he was on top of me, pushing me down on the bed as his hands started undressing me and his lips nibbled roughly on my neck. No. I struggled under him, trying to push him off of me, but he was so much bigger than me and weighed much more than I did. His hand slid up my dress and reached my panties, tugging them down. I buckled and panic built up within me. No, I couldn't let this happen.

"This will bring us back together, I promise," he murmured huskily into my ear. I pushed and wiggled under him, trying to get free without success. Only when I finally screamed as his hand slipped into my panties did he finally stop. His hand retreated and he pulled away from me to stare down at me. His eyes held so many emotions that it was hard to know what he was feeling, even by scent.

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered as he caressed my cheek gently. I squirmed at his touch and shivered as I felt his arousal. He gave me one last longing look and then got off of me. He went straight to the door and left without looking back.

As soon as the door closed, my body relaxed, though not entirely. There was still a threat nearby and I couldn't let my guard down, but at least my neck was no longer stiff. I breathed in deeply, forcing myself to calm down. The only reason that he stopped was because he didn't want to hurt me. He loved me—or the girl he thought me to be—so he couldn't hurt me. It was probably the only time that I was grateful for his dementia.

I pushed my dress back down as best I could with my hands cuffed and just lied on the bed, thinking. I needed to think of a way to get out of here. I wasn't strong enough to break the bonds he had on me and I was too hungry to attempt a Change, so I would have to convince him to get them off. I knew how I would need to do that and my insides squirmed and my wolf growled at the thought of it, but I had no choice. I had to convince Turner that I was Rachel.

Reese POV

"Reese, calm down," I heard Nick say forcefully. I nodded and took a deep breath, pushing the wolf back as hard as I could for the millionth time today and every time it got harder. If we didn't find Kim soon, I was sure that I would lose it. Once I had my wolf mostly under control, I looked up and found Nick and Antonio watching me intently.

"I'm fine," I murmured and started to walk forward again, but Antonio stopped me.

"Keep him under control," he ordered and I nodded, knowing that if I lost control of the wolf I would be removed from the search party and I couldn't allow that. I needed to search for my mate. She needed me. She was okay, though, that much I knew. I hadn't felt any pain or anything to suggest that she was…permanently injured, so she had to be okay.

"Let's go," I said, gesturing that we could start moving. Antonio gave me one long look with his wolf in full view, pushing mine back even further, and then started walking. We set off again down the street, going to check out the apartment Karl had informed us about, while he, Clay and Elena checked out another one. Morgan had been left on guard duty with the Alpha, Jaime and Hope guarding the boys and the twins. Noah had not liked it at all to be left out of the search but he still hadn't completely healed, otherwise he would probably here with us. Max had of course wanted to come as well, and while he was mostly healed, he was still too uncontrollable, though he was getting much better.

We were convinced that Turner was staying in town which was how he had been able to control our movements. Karl, Clay and Elena had broomed the entire town before Turner had taken Kim, but for now we had nowhere else to look. From the time we almost caught him at the airport we have had his account and credit card numbers, so we would know when he used them, thanks to Paige, the witch on the interracial council and friend of the Alpha elect. He had a car which we also had the license plate number to thanks to Antonio, but it was a stolen car, so he could have easily taken Kim elsewhere or further away from the Pack. Finding where he used to stay though, might give us a clue as to where he was heading. I just hoped my Kim was strong enough to wait for me.

Kim POV

What felt like hours later, Turner showed up again, with food. He set it down on the bed and then quickly stepped back, watching me expectantly. I looked down at the food and gingerly picked up the plate as best I could with my hands tied. I took a good whiff of it, ignoring Turner's gaze on me. I hadn't expected to find any poisons but I wasn't going to trust Turner on anything. My father had included identifying poisons and sedatives into my training as well as in everyone else's.

He kept his distance this time, taking on a new tactic. He sat beside the door, leaning against the wall, and talked. He didn't even need me to participate in the conversation as he told me how we—him and Rachel that is—met. I sat uncomfortably on the bed as I ate and watched him as he spoke, never taking my eyes off of him in case he tried anything again, but I needn't have worried. He was trying to get me to "remember" by telling me stories about "us."

The story of how he and Rachel met was soon followed by stories of their time together, just a few months from what I could tell. As he spoke, I was unable to stop the trickle of pity that ran through me. He had loved her so much that when he lost her he lost his mind. He made sure to make me understand that Rachel had asked to be bitten and that he hadn't wanted to do it, but he had given in, in the end. The pity I felt though, evaporated as soon as I remembered all the innocent girls he had killed…and Alex. I pushed that thought aside and forced myself to concentrate on Turner.

Turner then told me how he had felt once he learned that the Pack had killed me. His words, not mine. He had been convinced that the Pack had killed Rachel, the Alpha elect not wanting another female werewolf to compete against her. He had felt lost, alone and weightless, he said. Again, pity tried to reach me, but I forced it back. No pity for the man that had done so many evils, even if he was crazy which he obviously was.

He told me about how he had found me again in Tucson and had bitten me, hoping to jog my memory. But the Pack "killed" me before he could get me away from my family imposters. He travelled the country looking fro me after that and the same story was repeated three more times before he found me. He thought that the Pack had hidden Rachel from him and he had gone around biting girls that looked like her, thinking that she would come back. God, he really was nuts.

He then told me of how he had watched Stonehaven closely after biting me and how he saw me at Christmas. He said that he had tried to force the Pack to hand me over by killing girls on their territory, but they hadn't yielded. So he tried to get me himself and when that failed, he attempted to take my brothers to get me to come to him. Just like I had thought, he had tried to use my brothers. Sick bastard.

I had just finished eating my plate of food when he reached the story of how he had managed to get me back at the theatre. I stiffened and tears burned my eyes as roaring guilt filled me. Alex had been so hurt by what I had done and seeing me with Reese that he had agreed to somehow get me alone with Turner. I tried to keep my face expressionless, but even I could smell my emotions flowing from me, though Turner didn't seem to notice. Alex was dead and it was all my fault.

Once Turner had finished his narration with endless vows of love he stared at me, just stared at me. His light blue eyes were emotionless for once as he searched my face. I kept very still as his eyes wandered over my body and I tried not to squirm as I smelt his arousal rise. Having a threat before me and my hands being tied allowed me to push my internal turmoil aside for the moment and to focus solely on the situation at hand. I could think about things that were once—if—I got out of this.

"They changed you," Turner said suddenly, his eyes back on my face. I said nothing. "You didn't use to sing. You never believed the lies someone else told you. You would have never let someone who wasn't me claim you." Pain rang through his voice and I knew that this was it. I had to take advantage of his weakness and I felt my wolf whole heartedly agree with my decision, albeit reluctantly.

"I am Rachel," I said quietly. He blinked. He blinked again and then slowly rose to his feet. With slow motions he came over to me and sat on the bed beside me, ignoring the empty plate beside him. Gently he lifted his hands to my face and leaned over, kissing me gently. Everything within me rebelled at the touch of his lips on mine and my wolf growled viciously despite having agreed to the plan already, but I reminded her of our mate and how this was the only way to get him back and she shut up.

Slowly and reluctantly I let him in and he moaned into the kiss. His hands held onto my face as he took the lead and started kissing me harder, his arousal growing intensely. Suddenly he pulled away and pushed me back roughly, flying off the bed with a low growl. I stared at him as he glared down at me, his hands clenched at his sides, the smell of his anger sweeping over me.

"You are not Rachel," he growled, his jaw clenched. "Rachel never kissed me like that." I wanted to rage and storm as my wolf growled within me. What the hell had I expected? Of course he would realize I was lying, though the mutt didn't seem to know how to use his nose to be able to figure it out. Not many wolves knew how to do it. Lies held a certain scent and the liar's heartbeat always accelerated, so it was just a matter of using your nose and ears. I had had the Pack to teach me this; Turner hadn't had a very good teacher it seems.

Turner glared at me for a moment longer before leaving the room indignantly. As soon as he left, I had to fight to control my panic. My attempt at getting him to believe that I was Rachel had backfired and badly. What would he do now? Would he give up? I doubted it. He had spent way too much time looking for me to just give up now. But I was afraid that he would try to take me to try to make me "remember".

I forced back panic and fear at the thought of that and leaned back against the wall, trying to force calm into my body. Slowly, my body relaxed as I took deep, calming breathes. I needed to be calm for what I was about to do. Antonio had been teaching me to Change only my hand, but so far I hadn't managed to do it. It was much more complicated than it looked. But if it worked, my hand would be thin enough to get out of the handcuffs. If this didn't work, then I would have to Change completely. It would give me an advantage against Turner, but I couldn't open a door without fingers and my Change would not be silent, so Turner would be forewarned of my Change.

I took a deep breath and tried the partial Change. I concentrated solely on my right hand, moving it in slow circles as I breathed deeply and slowly. My hand started shimmering and I saw the muscles twitch, but the Change didn't go any further than that. Again and again I tried, but after about thirty minutes I gave up. It was useless. If I hadn't managed to do a partial Change while in the training room with my father, then it was nearly impossible for me to achieve it while I was kidnapped by an unstable mutt that was likely to rape me when desperation reached him. I wasn't like Max who had his wolf always near the surface which had allowed him to master partial changes long ago.

My hunger didn't help either. The plate of food he had given me was far from sufficient. I hadn't eaten in at least the last twelve hours and Changing took a lot of energy that I did not have in that moment. But still, I had to try. I knew that if I let my hunger go on any longer, I might lose control of my wolf and I couldn't let that happen. I didn't mind killing Turner—I think—but I would never forgive myself if I killed an innocent bystander. I still hadn't gone on a run around humans—I was supposed to go with the Pack sometime in the next few months—so I had no idea if I would be able to control my wolf's instincts should I encounter a human while in wolf form.

I closed my eyes and adjusted my position on the bed so I was comfortable. I wouldn't Change if I was uncomfortable, Elena had said, so long ago it seemed. I was on all fours, my hands at an awkward angle as the chain and handcuffs pulled at them towards the edge of the bed. I took more calming breaths and concentrated on my entire body now, drawing my wolf out.

As I had predicted, my discomfort and hunger made it difficult to be able to concentrate, but I managed to work through it. I felt my muscles start to spasm and stretch painfully as the Change began. I kept my head down as I bit on my lip, trying desperately to keep quiet but it was impossible.

A stifled scream had Turner bursting the door open and shouting at me to stop, but it was too late. I was past the point of no return. I was faintly aware of the door slamming shut as I finished the Change and inhuman screams escaped my mouth. Panting, I lied on the bed, trying to focus. Despite my exhaustion, I stood and extracted my front limbs from the handcuffs and wiggled out of my clothing.

I sniffed the air and caught the faint scent of Turner's fear that had my wolf burning for a hunt. I shifted on the bed and got into position facing the door, my hind legs prepared for the pounce. I could hear Turner coming back towards the room. He would probably be armed, my instincts told me, so I prepared to tackle him on his legs, hopefully hitting one of the main arteries. Once I had him down I could go for his throat. All this planning was for nothing however, as I discovered once the door swung open.

I growled viciously and pulled my ears back as I bared my teeth to the werewolf before me. He held my gaze without blinking and I saw his hand bring up the weapon higher as my growl intensified. I saw blood trickle down my friend's neck and my human instincts kicked in, so I shut up and just glared at the mutt.

Abbey stared at me with fearful eyes, the smell of her fear thick in the air. For a moment I half expected my wolf to push me into attacking Abbey because of the stink of her fear and her apparent weakness, but it didn't happen. And I knew why. Abbey was under my protection and always had been, ever since we met. I couldn't hurt her anymore than I could hurt one of my brothers or the twins.

"Change back," Turner said slowly, so I had time to decipher the human words, his eyes never leaving me. I growled deeply despite myself, but the mutt just lifted the pocket knife up higher, blood falling all the way down to Abbey's dress, staining the gold with dark red. The smell of blood ignited older wolf instincts, but my protective instincts overrode the more vicious ones.

Slowly, I lied back down on the bed, keeping my eyes on Turner. The Change hurt beyond measure. I thought for one endless moment that I wouldn't be able to go through with it. Hungry and exhausted after Changing to wolf form only a few minutes beforehand made it excruciatingly painful to Change back to human. But somehow I did it. For Abbey.

My body shook violently as the Change ended and I was covered in cold sweat. I gasped for air as I tried to steady my aching limbs and clear my clouded brain. I don't know how long it took, but I eventually stopped shaking and looked up to see my friend's face overtaken by horror. Her mouth moved in a soundless scream as the smell of her fear blocked the rest of the scents of the room out. I had never Changed in front of anyone but I knew that it couldn't be a very pretty sight.

"Abbey," I whispered hoarsely. She said nothing as she stared into my eyes where the wolf was still present. As I watched the terror grow in her eyes I realized the mistake I had made. I should never have brought her back into my life. It was too dangerous and now we were both paying the consequences of my stupidity.

"Your friend here told me that you're like sisters," Turner said softly and I glanced at him to see him watching me intently, but I kept my eyes on the knife in his hands which was still much too close to my friend's throat. I knew that I should try to do something but I couldn't do anything without risking accidently hurting Abbey, so I nodded stiffly instead and heard a faint whimper escape Abbey's throat.

"What are you?" she whispered and I saw her hands start to shake. Before I could even open my mouth, Tuner spoke.

"You never really liked humans even if you were one of them, my love. The Pack has done a better job at erasing your memories and implanting new ones than I had thought, including ones about your life before the Pack. But I bet they don't know what would happen if I destroyed those memories," he said with a smile that had me trembling with terror.

Before I could even entirely process his words, he moved the knife away from Abbey's throat and then plunged it into her chest in a lightning quick move. For a moment it seemed like nothing had happened, but then he pulled the knife out and blood spilled out. The crimson liquid rained down my friend's body towards the floor, but I didn't see it fall. All I saw was the terror in my friend's eyes as she fell to the ground, falling in the puddle of her own blood.

The scream that tore through my throat made my ears ring painfully, but I kept screaming, even as I launched myself on Turner. He stumbled back, shock filling his eyes before he stepped aside, but I was quicker than him and managed to grab the knife hand and spun around with it, digging it deep into his back. I pushed him away and out of the room, watching him only long enough to see him fall to floor with a grunt of pain.

I went back to Abbey who was lying face down on the floor and gently turned her over. She was still breathing, but barely. I held her in my arms despite everything I knew telling me to put her down and to call an ambulance. I was just too afraid to leave my friend, even for a second. "Abbey," I sobbed, tears falling mercilessly down my face onto hers as she blinked, mixing in with crimson liquid that stained her cheeks and nose.

"Kim," she murmured, her eyes falling momentarily on me before they closed.

"No," I cried and shook her gently. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at me, really looked at me. "P-please," I sobbed, the salt water blurring my vision. "D-don't leave m-me." She smiled crookedly at me despite the fear I could see in her eyes.

"I…I love you…," she whispered through hard breaths and lifted a hand to my face, touching it lightly before letting it fall. "You will…al…ways be…my sister," she gasped and then went limp, her head falling back as I watched the light leave her terror filled eyes.

"N-no. P-please," I cried and shook her again, but she didn't move. She was gone. Forever. Tears rained down on my friend's body as I gently put her down and my body shook with violent sobs. My fault, all my fault. And Turner's.

I clenched my fists and stood, spinning around on the spot to see Turner crawling across the next room, blood dripping down his back and staining the floor he crawled over. He had somehow managed to get the knife out of his back, but I barely noticed this as I flung myself at him. I took him down and landed on top of him, easily pinning him due to his wounds. As I held his hands over his head and dug my knees into his sides, making him wince and whine as I pushed his back against the hard floor, I snapped his fingers one by one. He howled beneath me, the smell of his fear wafting up to me, consuming me and feeding the wolf that was starving for revenge.

Once all his fingers were broken, I snapped his wrists. Turner writhed under me and begged for me to stop, but I hardly heard him as the blood pumped in my ears. His hands were useless then, so I let them go and held onto his shoulder as I moved over him and dug my knee into his groin. He screamed, the sound piercing through my ears and leaving me momentarily deaf, but I didn't stop. I pushed harder and harder into his crotch until I couldn't any more.

I shifted back to straddle his sides, digging in hard and making him whimper, a sound that had my wolf howling for more. I clenched my fists and let my anger have free range on his face. Every time flesh hit flesh the faces of my family and Pack flashed before my eyes. He had hurt my brothers, threatened the Pack and killed innocent girls. And Alex and Abbey. Abbey, my sister, my friend, my saviour. The memory of her blood made my blows come harder and faster until Turner's face was beyond unrecognizable. It wasn't until he started pleading pitifully did I finally halt my onslaught.

I put my bloodied hands back on his shoulders and held him down as I stared at him while he gasped for air. Soft whines escaped his throat every so often but they did nothing to diminish the rage that stormed within me. Though through my range, one thing became absolutely clear. I was an animal. That's what Turner had made me the night he bit me all those months ago. A vicious and blood thirsty animal.

Turner had his eyes closed and I heard him muttering how much he loved me and that he would never hurt me. That only infuriated the wolf more. Thanks to him we had failed in our duty to protect Noah and Max. And Abbey, even if she wasn't Pack she was still under my protection. And now she was gone.

I leaned down, receiving a full blast of Turner's blood, and put my lips to his ear. "This is for Abbey," I whispered and then in a move so quick he had no chance to see it coming, I put my hands on his head and snapped his neck.

I stood, bloodied and naked, and stared down at Turner, his face turned away from me at an awkward angle. My body shook uncontrollably and I suddenly collapsed beside the corpse and emptied my stomach. Tears fell mercilessly, blurring my vision as I tried to stand. My knees felt like they would give way at any moment so I held on to the wall, leaning against it and covering it with blood.

My body hurt all over and my hands especially ached from the beating I had given to Turner. I blinked hard, clearing my eyes of tears, and looked around. I saw what looked like a small loft but I couldn't be sure as my eyes fell on the phone hanging from the wall just in front of me.

I stumbled over to it, shivering from the cold that was starting to sweep over my body, and unhooked the phone. I leaned against the wall, trying to steady myself, but my hands shook too much and it took me about a half a dozen tries to dial the number.

"Hello?" I heard a voice answer urgently. I closed my eyes and slid down the wall, falling to the floor as sobs threatened to overtake my body.

"Reese," I croaked, more tears spilling from my eyes as my body started convulsing. I dropped the phone and screamed as the Change took over my body. Pain beyond measure assaulted my body and I swear I could feel it all the way to the tips of my hair. I screamed hoarsely as I struggled to control the Change but there was no stopping it.

I whimpered as I fell to the floor and the Change ended, but the pain didn't go away. I could hear muffled sounds coming from the pone beside me but I didn't go to it. Instead I crawled over to the source of the smell of blood, hunger eating at my insides.


	35. Ch 35 The Wolf

**This is how SuperNatural1985 and I picture _Sorrentino Estates_: http:/www(.)dreamhomedesignusa(.)com/Villa%20Serena%20Payne%20Stewart%20Mansion(.)htm**

* * *

><p><strong>Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled <span>Strong Part 5.<span>**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

**Keep Holding On – Avril Lavigne**

You're not alone, together we stand  
>I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand<br>When it gets cold and it feels like the end  
>There's no place to go, you know I won't give in<br>No, I won't give in

Keep holding on  
>'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through<br>Just stay strong  
>'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you<br>There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do  
>There's no other way when it comes to the truth<br>So keep holding on  
>'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through<p>

So far away, I wish you were here  
>Before it's too late this could all disappear<br>Before the door's closed and it comes to an end  
>With you by my side I will fight and defend<br>I'll fight and defend, yeah, yeah

Keep holding on  
>'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through<br>Just stay strong  
>'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you<br>There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do  
>There's no other way when it comes to the truth<br>So keep holding on  
>'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through<p>

Here me when I say, when I say I believe  
>Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change destiny<br>Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly  
>Yeah, yeah, yeah<p>

Ch 36 The Wolf

Reese POV

I growled viciously but was only answered with another growl and a hard squeeze on the shoulder from a much more dominant wolf than me. I wanted to pace to lose some of the edge, but Nick held me tightly in place. I breathed through my nose so as to not inhale the smells of the garbage that was strewn all over the alley. My wolf prowled viciously within me, anxiously awaiting the call that would take us to our mate and give us blood and revenge. I could see that Antonio and Nick felt the same way I did, but they were in much more control of their wolves than me, though they didn't feel the pull of the mate bond as I did so their wolves were easier to control right then.

As far as I could tell, Kim had not been hurt, though the sound of her scream had pierced through me like a shard of ice and had almost made me Change which is exactly what Kim had done after screaming. Only Antonio's dominance had made me stay in human form. We had no idea where she had called from, so Karl was tracking the call using the technology they use on the television shows my Kim was so fond of.

After what felt like an eternity later, Antonio's phone rang. Elena was quick and to the point, giving us the address of where Kim was and telling us that they were on their way. But we were closer so we would get there before them.

The three of us ran back towards the car without a word. Antonio drove us to the address quickly—though not quickly enough for me—not even bothering to park appropriately before getting out. We stormed into the rundown apartment building where Kim's scream would not have been out of place. We followed the faint stink of cologne to the fourth floor where Antonio pressed his ear against the door to listen for about half a minute that seemed like forever to me and then he snapped the doorknob and the three of us barrelled inside without a second thought.

The smell of death and blood greeted us, going right through me to my wolf, but the fear I suddenly felt held him back. Antonio and Nick were old and experienced enough to be able to control their wolves, but it was hard for me sometimes, especially if I was hungry like I was now. But I was too afraid for my mate to think about eating.

I slowly started walking into the shack-like loft—probably worthy of Hagrid himself—and my eyes instantly went to the body lying a few feet away from one of the two doors. It was Turner. I could smell him and his cologne even over the stink of death that emanated from his body. His face was covered in blood and his head was at an awkward angle, clearly snapped.

Ignoring the body, I went straight into the small bedroom behind it and I almost howled at the sight. My mate was in wolf form, covered in blood and lying over the corpse of her friend. My wolf sang within me at seeing our mate, but Kim growled at me when she saw me, pulling her ears back and baring her teeth. She was protecting Abbey.

"Amor," I said gently and lowered myself so that we were at eye level. She just growled at me again, but the happiness and fullness I felt right then was overwhelming. My mate was okay. I faintly heard Antonio and Nick coming over to me and heard one of them suck in their breath, but I ignored them and focused on the dark brown wolf before me, her dark fur crimson with blood. "I'm not going to hurt her," I said slowly to my mate so she had time to decipher the human language. When she didn't back down, I lifted a hand towards her, slowly so she wouldn't think I was attacking her.

"Reese," Antonio said in warning, but I ignored him. My mate wouldn't hurt me, even if she was overtaken by her wolf's instincts to protect her friend, even in death. She growled lowly at me and her hind legs prepared to pounce. Just when I thought that I had made a mistake, I saw her nostrils flare and her eyes brighten with the intelligence of the human.

"Kim," I said gently and a soft whine escaped her throat. I forced myself to stay absolutely still as she stood, in case she interpreted my embrace as an attack, but I needn't have worried. The bond was strong between us and her wolf recognized her mate. They both knew I would never hurt them.

Careful so as to not disturb the body, my mate came over to me and nuzzled my neck, whining loudly. I wrapped my arms around her, burying my head into her blood covered fur. I sighed as I felt her in my arms, feeling the bond flow between us, reassuring me that she really was okay. One whiff told me that the blood that covered her wasn't hers but Abbey's and Turner's and she had been soaked in it when she had lied over her friend's body to protect her.

I heard a sigh of relief from behind me and then movement as one of them—Nick because of the lighter footsteps—went back into the main room and called Elena. I felt Antonio kneel down beside me and I lifted my head and looked at him to see warring emotions flash behind his eyes. I pulled my mate harder to me, feeling complete for the first time since she had been taken, and she sat down on her hind legs, letting me wrap my arms around her entire body now.

"Princess," Antonio murmured and Kim whined softly from in between my arms. Slowly, Antonio lifted a hand and touched her head lightly. A sound somewhere between a whine and a whimper escaped my mate and she shifted her head a bit and licked her father's hand.

I pulled back gently and kissed my mate's muzzle, bringing my face down to it and holding it there for a moment. She wined again and moved her head away to nuzzle my neck. I embraced her again, holding her tightly in my arms as if my life depended on it. My mate was okay. She was alive. And she was here with me. I whined softly into the fur around her neck and she whined back, digging her muzzle into my own neck, her wet nose making me shiver.

"I love you," I whispered and felt her start shaking in my arms. I knew that had she been human in that moment she would have been crying in my arms. I inhaled her scent and once again felt the bond between us that completed us and made us one and the same.

Antonio POV

Slowly, so as to not startle my daughter, I stood and went over to the body behind her. I kneeled down beside Abbey and heard Kim growl lowly but she didn't move an inch from her mate's arms. A warning growl. She knew I would never harm Abbey's body but just in case. Her protective instincts were still in overdrive with the wolf so close.

Gently, I closed Abbey's eyes that held the eternal look of terror. I tried not to think about the gash on her neck and turned away from it, but my eyes fell on the handcuffs that were tied to the bed with a metal chain. I clenched my fists to control my anger, half wishing that Turner wasn't already dead, so I could have my justice—a lot of ripping would have been involved, for sure. But I knew that if Turner hadn't been dead, then my daughter probably wouldn't have been able to call Reese, thus allowing us to find her.

I watched my daughter and her mate for a moment, thankful to the gods that she was alive and well. My principessa was so brave, so brave. She was still new to this life, to being a werewolf and everything that that entailed and yet she had killed Turner. Though from what I could gather, Abbey's death had ignited her anger which had most likely led to her killing Turner. I pushed thoughts of Noah's inevitable pain aside and gave Kim and Reese a moment longer, knowing that they needed to feel reunited, before standing.

"Reese," I said softly. He looked up and I saw his wolf in full view. His hadn't pulled him out on purpose, but his wolf no doubt wanted to be at the forefront to protect his mate. However, I couldn't have two young werewolves at the mercy of their wolves' instincts. One was more than enough. I called on my own werewolf and let him peek out, pushing Reese's back.

"We need to get her back to the house," I said once his wolf had retreated. Reese nodded and looked worriedly at his mate and then at the blood that covered the floor. I nodded when he looked at me and followed his gaze back to the blood.

We still hadn't taken Kim on a run around humans. She had had control for months and we had decided to start taking her on runs near humans before summer. The wolf is in almost total control when we are in wolf form and humans are food for the wolf. And a wolf in the wild always takes advantage of the food he finds, whether he's hungry or not. Kim had "food" right here before her but instead of eating she had protected her friend. Her wolf had taken Abbey as Pack, so she would never hurt her, even if she was possible food for her wolf. I was so proud of my daughter in that moment that tears threatened just as they had when I had first seen her when I stepped into the room. Even if she hadn't snacked on Abbey, she could lose control at any moment and do just that because of the smell of blood and death. We needed to get her out of here.

I took a deep breath, calming myself before going over to Reese and Kim. I laid a hand on my daughter's fur on the back of her head and murmured, "Princess, we need to get you out of here." I spoke slowly because it's hard for us to understand human speech while in wolf form. Kim definitely understood me because my words were met with a deep growl.

She flung herself out of Reese's arms and jumped over Abbey's body, growling and baring her teeth at me as she poised herself gently over her dead friend's body. "Sweetheart," I said gently and knelt down so she wouldn't think of me as a threat, though I'm not sure if I accomplished that since I was almost three times her size. "We're not going to hurt her. We're going to take her with us." Abbey needed to be buried and we would do that back at the estate. I tried not to think about the pain my daughter was going through and all the pain she still had ahead of her. They had been so close, almost like sisters. I pushed these thoughts aside and focused on the situation before me.

"Change," I ordered, meeting her gaze with my wolf in full view. She backed down immediately with a whine and took a few steps back but lost her balance and fell on her hind legs. She whined again when she saw my wolf once more and collapsed on the floor, curling up into a ball with her back to us and Abbey.

I stared at my daughter, anger searing through me like a red hot arrow. Kim was in so much pain that she refused to Change back, even if I had ordered it—things were much simpler when we were wolves. Sometimes Kim was able to fight our orders—though not the Alpha's—since she is a bitten wolf and doesn't feel the pull to obey as strongly as us if she doesn't want to obey, like now. I clenched my fists and forced down the raging wolf that wanted revenge and thirsted for blood at seeing the hurt my daughter was going through. No. I couldn't let him out. Turner was dead and Kim had killed him.

"Kim, Change," I tried more forcefully, but she didn't even move, just whined softly. I glanced at Reese and saw him looking at my daughter with such pain in his eyes that it hurt to look at. Without a word, he got up and went over to his mate, gently laying a hand on her back. She didn't move.

"Amor," he whispered and started rubbing circles as he moved his hand to her belly. I saw her start to tremble and the smell of her sadness filled the room. I wanted to go over to her as well, but she was so frightened and in such pain that I knew it was best to leave her with her mate. The past day had proven to me how strong their bond was. So strong that I knew that if one day we lost one of them—God forbid—we would lose the other as well. If my daughter had died at the hands of Turner, I knew that Reese would have lost it, he would have broken, and nothing we would have been able to do would have fixed him. In the end we would most likely have had to take drastic measures and eliminate him to protect the Pack, but I couldn't think like that. Nothing would ever happen to them as long as I was around. Or so I hoped.

"Let's go home," Reese murmured into her ear. She whined in answer and slowly stood with Reese's hand buried in the fur on her back. She stared at him with longing in her eyes and Reese whined at her, but she just looked at Abbey and then back at him.

"I'll take care of her, principessa," I promised and Kim met my gaze, searching it, and then nodded oddly. She waited until Reese had stood and then started making her way out of the room with Reese by her side. We walked back into the main room—though not very big—and I stiffened as Kim stepped around Turner, but she didn't even look at him. I sighed softly and followed my daughter and her mate, signalling to Nick that I would be right back.

Reese led his mate all the way down the stairs and to the car which was "parked" right in front of the building. I opened the door and Reese hopped in, knowing that Kim would not get into the car unless he was there. Thank the gods that Kim and Reese were mated or this situation would have been very, very dangerous for Kim and for us. Her wolf only trusted her mate in such a painful situation. Kim climbed in and lied down with her head on her mate's lap and her back to the door, trusting that her mate would protect her if they were attacked.

I motioned to Reese to know if he wanted me to send Nick down, but he just shook his head, his gaze immediately going back down to his mate, and I had to agree with him. Kim's wolf was very strong in that moment because of the situation she had just been through, the fear and the pain that still seared through her, tinging the air with the smells of them. We were her pack, but she was so on edge that the only person she would never hurt was her mate. I thanked the gods one last time and closed the door.

Any passersby would take my daughter as a dog since she wasn't abnormally big, even for a wolf. We retained our body mass when we Changed to wolves, but Kim was small in human form as well so her wolf wasn't very big, at least not big enough for someone to call the police or animal control. We had a collar in the trunk that we used for when we needed to Change around humans to lessen the chances of them seeing a wolf instead of a dog, but I doubted Kim would have let us put it on her.

I was just about to cross the threshold of the apartment building when I heard the sound of tires skidding on asphalt. I turned my gaze towards where the noise came from and saw Clay's car speeding down the road. I stepped back outside and watched as the car came to a stop right next to mine. Clay, Elena and Karl jumped out and ran over to me.

"Where is she?" Elena demanded, her dominant wolf in full view. I backed down from her and nodded towards my car. She spun around and looked over at my children. I quickly gave her the play by play of what had happened and she nodded absentmindedly as she watched Reese stroke Kim's back with gentle movements, his lips moving in silent comforts.

"She's okay," I said and she nodded again, turning back to me and motioning me forward. Kim was okay and safe for now and with Turner dead she was in no immediate danger. We would take her home as soon as the mess upstairs was cleaned up.

We got upstairs to find that Nick had already started the clean up, unfortunately stumbling upon the place where Turner had kept Abbey. I strode over to where Nick was standing, anger clouding his eyes, his fists clenched. I looked into the tiny pantry, seeing the blood that was splattered on the walls and shelves. The sour stink of fear permeated the air and my wolf growled within me, still on edge about the failed hunt.

I turned away from the sight and turned back towards the room, taking in the terrible state the place was in. It looked like a homeless person had been living here, which made me wonder how Turner, being a werewolf, had managed to live here with the smell. Of course something told me that his nose didn't work very well or he would have known that Kim and all the other girls he bit were not his dead lover.

I walked across the room towards the body where Karl and Clay were studying it while Elena checked on the one in the bedroom. The smell of Kim's anger engulfed Turner's body, almost entirely covering the stink of his fear and blood. I kneeled down beside Clay and took in the hands, each finger snapped and pulled from its socket. Both wrists were snapped as well, beyond the ninety degree barrier.

"That's quite a temper she has," Karl murmured, surprise touching his face lightly, and gestured towards Turner's mutilated face. My daughter was an amazing fighter and had a sharp mind, but Karl had never seen her in action and had apparently not thought of her as dangerous up until that moment, from what I could tell from the look on his face. But my Kim was plenty dangerous—one look at the bloodied body before me told me so.

I said nothing to Karl's' comment, however. I was too scared for my daughter to utter a single word right then. This was Kim's first kill and we were already seeing the consequences it was having on her. She refused to Change and I was scared to think of what she was going through right at this moment. Would she hate herself for what she had done? Knowing her, she would most likely blame herself for Abbey's death as well. It wasn't her fault, but Kim tended to think like that and always takes the responsibility for others.

Turner's head was wrenched at an impossible angle and I could see Clay taking it in, studying it. He was Kim's mentor as much as me, though Kim had progressed so much in the last couple of months that he had only come up to visit us once a month to keep an eye on her training. A training which included learning different killing techniques. Kim had absorbed them without a word and we could see that she had been paying close attention.

Clay suddenly turned the body around and we found the source of the puddle of blood beneath the body. I glanced around the room and immediately found the blood covered knife just a few feet away. Clay frowned as he followed my gaze and I heard him mutter something about weapons. He was so close to his wolf that weapons seemed like the height of low for him, unlike Max who also lived with his wolf close at hand but he just saw it as a means for survival and used what he had, like he always had for most of his life. But I knew that if Kim had used the knife, it was because she had had to, for whatever reason. I had taught her to fight without weapons, but she knew how to unarm armed opponents and use their weapons against them. She was a fast learner.

I left Clay and Karl to take care of the body while Nick cleaned up and I strode over to Elena, bypassing the place where my daughter had been sick. She was kneeling down beside Abbey's body, soaking her jeans with the blood that encircled it, emotions flashing behind her eyes at the speed of light. I knew what she was feeling. She hadn't known Abbey until last night but she was a mother and Abbey was just a child, just like Alex, and neither of them had deserved the end they had had.

I laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and rubbed it softly, feeling her relax at my touch. Even leaders needed to be reassured sometimes and I'm sure that right then she was thinking of her own children and how this could have been them. The werewolf life was a dangerous one, we all knew it which is why we always tended to let the younger werewolves stay pups for as long as possible, letting them live in safety until they were ready. But no one was ever ready for death.

It was late by the time we left the small loft, leaving it cleaner than it had probably ever been. Kim was still in wolf form lying over her mate while I drove and Nick sat beside me. Elena had called Jeremy to inform him of the situation and had told him about Abbey. As Alpha, he would be the one to break the news to Noah.

I gripped the steering wheel hard as I remembered how heartbroken Noah had been last night and I prayed that we would be able to help him through it. More specifically, I prayed that his siblings would be able to help him through it. They were so tight that you would think that they had been raised together since birth. They would be there for him and I knew that the need Kim felt to help and protect her brothers would help her to move past what had happened. Abbey had needed her help once and that had made Kim push her own problems aside to help her, allowing her to move forward with her life. Hopefully the same would happen again.

We reached the house long after darkness had fallen and the lights of the house illuminated the grounds and surrounding forest, giving the woods a sinister look. I parked in the garage and Clay parked outside in the driveway. We had a very large garage, but only our cars and motorbikes fit in here, which were by no means a small amount.

I had barely stepped out of the car when the garage door burst open and Max and Noah flew through it, their faces red and tear-stained. Addison trailed behind them and then came Morgan and Jeremy. Jaime and Hope were not in the house since they had taken the twins out. We had no idea how stable Kim was at the moment and, though it seemed like she was in control, we weren't taking any chances.

I motioned to the boys to keep calm, knowing that Jeremy had warned them about Kim and how unpredictable she might be, but they had obviously foregone the warning in their need and want to see their sister. I stepped around the car and opened the back door. Kim lifted her head off her mate's lap and looked at the wolves before her. She didn't growl, just stared, taking it all in as if she were bored.

Suddenly, she jumped out of the car and strode across the garage towards the door. When she past Noah and Max, my youngest son tried to reach for her, but she just sped up and walked up to Jeremy who stood in the doorway. She looked up at him and then bared her neck, submitting to him. Jeremy didn't even blink at Kim's actions and just nodded to her when she looked back up at him and stepped aside. She padded past him and Reese quickly followed her without a backwards glance. All his attention was on his mate now, the rest of the world could wait.

Max let out a soft whimper, his gaze stuck on the door where Kim had disappeared through, and Noah looked heartbroken which he really was. I went over to my sons and took Max in my arms while Nick took a hold of Noah who collapsed into Nick's embrace. I rubbed soft circles into Max's back as he started shaking while his tears soaked through my shirt, but I didn't care. I just pulled him harder against me.

"She's okay," I murmured and saw Elena evacuating everyone to give us some time alone. We were Pack and we were all very close, but since we lived together there was a deeper bond between us, a sense of trust that grew with every day that we spent together.

"She has a lot to deal with, guys. Just give her some time and she'll come back around, I promise," I said now and heard Noah whimper, knowing that his thoughts were now going to Abbey since Kim was obviously safe and sound.

"What can we do to help her?" Max asked, his voice muffled against my chest. I inwardly smiled. Max was always trying to help and I knew that he would do anything for Kim, anything. Like I've said, if Max wasn't gay, the closeness between Kim and him would have caused a lot of riffs between Max and Reese. Blood would have been shed for sure.

"Just give her a lot of love. And time," I said and looked over at Nick who nodded at me, though I could see in his eyes the worry that I was keeping inside for the boys' sake. Kim was in pain, in shock and maybe in fear. She would stay in wolf form until she was ready to face it all. Jeremy wouldn't force her to Change back. She needed to do it on her own, but if she stayed in wolf form for too long, he would have to order her to Change back. If she spent too much time under the skin of her wolf, she might never come back.

Reese POV

Kim padded across the hallway and to her door before she looked back at me. Her dark, chocolate brown eyes held so much pain that all I wanted to do was hold her. Instead, I opened the door to her room and she ran in, climbed on the bed and curled up into a ball. I inwardly growled, hating Turner for what he had done to my mate. He could at least be thankful that he had not raped my mate. If he had, I would be out looking for a necromancer as soon as my mate was back. But we hadn't smelled sex back at the dirty loft, so it didn't seem that he had done anything, though I would wait for my mate to tell me what had happened.

I stepped into our room and closed the door behind me, slowly walking over to the bed. Kim didn't even move. I sighed and rubbed her back gently as I sat down beside her. My wolf whined within me at the obvious pain my mate was in or she would have already Changed back now that the danger had passed.

"Amor," I murmured and one of her ears fluttered at the sound of my voice. "Sweetheart, let me get the…let me wash you," I said, deciding to not tell my mate that she was covered in blood, though she no doubt already knew it. The smell was overwhelming.

After a moment she chuffed and then stood, jumping off the bed and heading over to the ensuite door which was also closed. She looked back at me, looking a little annoyed through the pain and I smiled weakly. My mate liked being independent, so maybe having to rely on others would make her Change back sooner rather than later. I knew what the dangers of being exposed too long to the wolf were, but my Kim still had time.

I went over to her and opened the door, letting her in. Without even looking at me, she bypassed the shower and went straight to the bathtub which also had a shower head. I nodded at her choice and strode over to her as she hopped in, preparing herself for the ordeal of having a shower while in wolf form. From the look on Kim's face as I washed her, it wasn't a pleasant experience.

It wasn't so bad, though. She let me wash her without complaint—not that she could complain much while in wolf form—and she even let me stroke her face and give her soft caresses. I'm not sure why she had ignored everyone else downstairs, even her brothers, but knowing Kim, I could guess that it's because she doesn't want to bring anyone down with her in her pain. I'm her mate and her wolf knows she would have one hell of a time trying to ignore me, so she let me be here with her, and me alone.

While I bathed her I found that the blood on her front paws was not Turner's or Abbey's but hers. She also had a few scraps and I knew that they were from the blows she had planted on Turner. I forced myself not to worry about that for now and focused on my mate, just my mate.

Once she was mostly dry she went straight to the bed and I was just about to lie down beside her when someone knocked on the door. I stood and went over to it, opening it silently to find Max and Noah carrying two trays of food that could have fed a fat king. I was about to tell them to give me the trays and then send them away but I thought better of it. Kim loved her brothers, so maybe being with them again would make her Change back, though I wasn't very hopeful about this. My mate would Change back when she was ready, but for now we would give her all the love we could.

Noah and Max sat down on the bed beside Kim, but she made no move to acknowledge them. She only moved when I put a steak to her nose. She ate the two trays of food without leaving any crumbs at all while my brothers and I watched her in silence. I could see my brothers' worried expressions and I knew they were scared, but there was nothing we could do except be there for her.

Kim finished eating and then lied down on the bed beside me. I leaned back, lying down myself, and motioned for the guys to take up the spot where Kim normally slept when they slept with us. Max looked crestfallen and Noah looked on the verge of tears as he surveyed Kim's still form. Without a word, Max hopped off the bed and strode over to the bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him. The grunts and whimpers that were heard a few minutes later made me grin slightly. My little brother really was a genius.

A smallish brown wolf stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later and Noah immediately jumped off the bed and went to Change as well. Max climbed up onto the bed and crawled over to Kim who lifted her head slightly and then laid it back down on the bed. Max whined and pawed at the bed, cocking his head to the side as he looked at Kim. I sat up and shifted my position so I could easily get Max out of the way if Kim reacted badly to having wolves around her. My mate had control but she was in so much pain that I had no idea how this would affect her.

Max leaned down then and prodded Kim in the side with his muzzle, whining loudly again. My mate lifted her head again and looked at Max, staring at him for a few seconds, as if suddenly recognizing him, and then licked his face. Max grinned wolfishly now and huddled into her side, purring with happiness. I smiled down at them, relief flooding through me as I realized that I was not the only one that could comfort my mate.

Noah came out of the bathroom a while later and I went next, rushing through my Change painfully, so I could get back to my mate as soon as possible. I trotted back into the room and found Max still curled up into my mate's side while Noah licked Kim up and down, almost the equivalent of human hugs and kisses. I jumped up onto the bed and lied down on Kim's other side and Noah rested above us, so we were encircling Kim with our warmth and comfort.

I heard her whine softly before she shifted and brought her muzzle to mine, licking it before closing her eyes. I licked her back, hearing her and my brothers purr in contentment before drifting off to sleep with the feeling of completeness filling me and the knowledge that the anchor that held me down to the world was back in place, though slightly battered, but I would fix that and soon.

Antonio POV

I hung up the phone and sighed, resigning myself to the inevitable. I stood from my desk and left my study, going to the living room where Kim was spending some time with her eldest brother since Reese had gone to school. He had been all for not going, but Nick and I had forced him to. She wasn't going anywhere and she was well cared for with Nick and me who could easily not go to work if we didn't want to. The luxury of being your own boss.

I strode into the room and found Nick on the floor with Kim by his side. He was keeping up a steady flow of conversation which Kim seemed to be following with interest. The both turned to me when I walked in and Kim immediately stood and came over to me. She pushed her muzzle into my leg and I chuckled lightly, bending down to her level and burying my hand into her fur. She purred in contentment and then went back to Nick, looking at him as if telling him he could now continue talking. Nick laughed and happily complied.

I sat down on Nick's other side and joined them for the next little while, deciding best not to tell Kim what I had just done. I had had to call her academy to tell them that she would no longer be going for the time being. A hard thing to do when I knew how much her music meant to her. What I definitely would not be telling her until I knew she could face it was the uproar the academy was in with Alex's disappearance. We had left no sign of Alex's presence in Kim's room, so they had absolutely no reason to believe that she was involved. But my heart still ached for the boy's parents. I could not imagine the pain they were going through and I prayed that I would never have to live through it.

I reached over and stroked Kim's back, wishing with all my might that she would Change back. She was in pain, that much was more than obvious, and I knew that she would no doubt be going through issues with what she had done to Turner. But she couldn't keep hiding behind her wolf. Jeremy had given her a week at the most and then he would try to force her to Change back using his dominance over her. Hopefully, my daughter would be more human than wolf and then Jeremy would not be forced to make a decision in the best ineterest of the Pack. But I knew that Kim was strong enough to decide to face her problems herself and not be pushed into them. I had to believe that. She was strong and brave, but I knew this was difficult for her and for Reese who was holding on with everything he had to keep his head while with her. I wish I knew how to help her, but I had no idea what I could do except wait. Wait and pray.

Reese POV

The next few days passed with no sign of Kim Changing back any time soon. Antonio called the academy to tell them that Kim was sick and would not be attending until further notice. He was worried, we all were, but while I was with my Kim I pretended as if nothing was out of place and that her being in wolf form was absolutely normal.

Abbey was buried the day we got Kim back, right next to Alex in a clearing not far from the house. I hadn't told Kim this yet, but I would once she had Changed back. Not talking about her friend was not going to make it any easier, quite the contrary, but I didn't want her to hurt anymore than she had to right then.

Abbey's family had called Kim to know if she knew where she was. Since Kim was unable to talk, I had taken the call and explained that Kim had gone to Europe the day after the performance and that she hadn't hear from Abbey since the night of the concert. I hated lying and it was worse to lie about the death of someone they loved. They would never know what had happened to their niece. Abbey's parents hadn't called yet, though I'm sure they would soon.

I spent almost every hour of every day beside my mate. Communicating was awkward, but we made it work. I mostly spoke—obviously—and Kim just nodded or shook her head, sometimes even giving me a look when I suggested outrageous activities like cooking. Of course I had meant that I cook while she was with me, but she didn't seem to like the idea very much. She preferred activities where we both participated, like going out for a walk or watching movies. We would sometimes watch our brothers play Playstation or Xbox, but to not have her bickering or laughing with them was the height of wrong.

I was Changing almost daily now which took up a lot of energy and I was eating a lot more because of it, but it was worth it to be able to feel closer to my mate while in wolf form. Our family joined us when it was time for their Change as well, but mostly it was just the two of us running around the woods, terrorizing its inhabitants. But I always Changed back after our run, Kim never did.

I kept my worries mostly to myself and tried to act like nothing was wrong, both for my mate's sake and my brothers'. They were worried and afraid. It had only been a few days, but they were still scared that she wouldn't Change back. Max was handling it better than Noah, though, since his wolf was always very close at hand and he could understand why Kim was doing this. Noah just had a lot more to deal with, unfortunately.

"You know I love you, don't you?" I asked as I ducked under a low branch, reaching my mate who had run up ahead of me. She cocked her head to the side and watched me approach, her eyes indecipherable.

It had been three days since she had gotten back and I knew that there were some things that Kim had always needed, like acceptance. From the very beginning all she had ever wanted from us, the Pack and her family, was for us to accept her. Max took the longest to do this, but he accepted her in the end and Kim had been ecstatic for days after that. Now she needed to be reminded that she was still accepted here, even after what she had done.

I kneeled down in front of her and took her head in both my hands. "I love you, amor. Always have, always will. I don't care that you killed and tortured Turner…" Kim stiffened as I said this and tried to pull back, but I held her tight. She needed to hear this. I locked my gaze on hers and ploughed on. "We are werewolves, Kim. We are part animals and animals kill to protect and to feed. You killed to protect Abbey and yourself. And if you hadn't tortured him, then I or the Pack would have," I said firmly, making sure that she could see how serious I was.

She gazed at me with glassy eyes, though wolves couldn't cry. Suddenly, she jumped forward and licked me, whining as she did so and then pulled back to look at me, watching me for my reaction.

"I love you too," I smiled and stood, looking behind her at the trees beyond. "Bet I can beat you back to the house," I said, but Kim had already taken off halfway through my sentence. She won of course. My mate didn't Change back that day or the day after, but I waited. All she needed was time. She would Change back when she was ready.

On the fifth day after Kim's return, I decided that I couldn't keep skipping out on my duties as an older brother. Noah needed me, but Kim had been the main focus of my attention which was unfair. Kim was dealing through her pain and her issues using her wolf, but Noah was holding it all in. Nick and Antonio had tried to talk to him, but every time Noah just cried and didn't speak a word. I knew that Max was trying hard to help his brother as well, but as far as I knew he hadn't had much luck either.

"Hey, buddy," I called as I walked into the clearing to find Noah kneeling before Abbey's grave. He looked over and nodded, seemingly unperturbed by my finding him here like this. His were eyes red and tears were rolling down his cheeks, but he turned his pain-filled gaze back down to the smooth rock where Abbey's name had been engraved.

I walked over to him and sat down beside him, wrapping an arm around him. He leaned into me, whining softly, and I pulled him closer, letting my wolf comfort him too. Pack bonds were strong within our family and our wolves demanded that we have this close contact. For humans this closeness would seem awkward, but we welcomed it.

I waited silently, just sitting there beside my brother as the pain consumed him. I had no doubt that he had loved Abbey and maybe they had been mates, but without a mate bond, he still retained his mind and body. Had he established a mate bond with Abbey he would have been lost to us, so I was grateful that they hadn't been mates. That didn't mean the Noah wasn't in pain, but at least he would survive.

"I miss you," he whispered suddenly and I knew he wasn't talking to me. I gripped him harder, wishing that there was something I could do to alleviate the pain, but I knew from experience that nothing could dull the ache, nothing ever would, only time.

"She loved you, Noah. Wherever she is, I know she will always love you," I said and was answered with a sob. I pulled away gently and turned around, holding him at arms length and watching as water flowed from his eyes nonstop. My heart ached for my brother and for my mate who I knew was in a similar pain as the young man before me.

"We're here for you, buddy. You need to talk to us. We love you and we want to help you," I told him softly. He started shaking his head and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand before speaking.

"Kim isn't here," he croaked. I sighed and pulled him to me again, his tears soaking my shirt instantly. He missed Kim too, though thankfully my wolf understood that he just missed her as a brother and fellow pack member or not as anything else.

"I know, but she will be, soon," I murmured as I rubbed circles into his back and pressed my cheek against his hair. My wolf whined within me at our brother's pain, pushing me to help him, but I didn't know how.

"I just…maybe if I had…stayed with her the whole time, then maybe…," he started to say but then broke off into violent sobs. I growled lowly and then pushed him back, holding him at arms' length again.

"No," I growled, Noah flinching at my tone. I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax before speaking again. "No. It isn't your fault, Noah. It's not yours or mine or Kim's or anyone else's. It's just Turner's. Understand? This isn't your fault anymore than Dennis' death was," I said and Noah whimpered at the mention of Dennis.

After moving in with the Sorrentinos and Noah and I started to get to know each other, I had realized that Noah had felt guilty about Dennis' death. It wasn't his fault. There was nothing he could have done to prevent his death and I had had to drill that knowledge into him, like I would have to do so again.

"Not your fault," I repeated forcefully and Noah nodded, tears still pouring down his face. I pulled him back to me, embracing him in a tight hug, letting him know that I was here and that I wasn't going anywhere.

I suddenly wished that my mate was here with me. She always seemed to know what to do in these situations. She was a crier herself so she knew how to go about different tears and such. But right then she was spending some time with her father and Nick, like she did most days, though I was normally with her. Jeremy and Elena made almost daily visits as well. Sometimes Elena would even take Kim away and talk to her alone. I have no idea what Elena told her but I hoped it would help Kim to Change back soon. I could only keep the fear in for so long.

After a while, Noah pulled back, rubbing his eyes furiously, and got a determined look in his eyes. "Let's get back," he said roughly and stood. I quickly followed suit, hugging him quickly one more time and telling him that I was here. He nodded against my chest, whispering a soft thank you. I nodded as well, knowing that he would be okay. My brother was so strong.

We walked silently back to the house and once inside I followed the sounds of conversation to the living room where I found Antonio and Nick and no sign of my mate. Before I could so much as utter a word about my mate's disappearance, Antonio informed me that she was with Elena.

"So put your hackles back on the ground, buddy," Nick said, my tension at not seeing my mate thick in the air. I nodded and relaxed my stiff shoulders, rolling them slowly as I sat down on the couch. With Abbey gone, I suppose it was best for Kim and Elena to start making a stronger girl bond. Kim needed women in her life or she was bound to go crazy with so many men. How she hadn't cracked already was beyond me, really.

Antonio leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes as Nick got up, going to the kitchen to get drinks. He came back a few minutes later and plumped down beside his father, his grin failing miserably at trying to hide his worry. Though I had pretended otherwise, I had clearly heard what they had been talking about. My mate.

They were worried of course, but there was no need to panic, not yet. Kim was still herself and still hadn't lost control of her wolf which she seemed to have tight reins over. But this fact didn't do anything to let Antonio sleep soundly at night. The shadows beneath his eyes told me so. I was worried as well, but I believed in my mate and I trusted that she was strong enough to come through and to keep holding on. So did her father and brothers, but they worry, and I knew they always would.

"Bet that's happened to Nick more than once," I laughed as we watched Jack Sparrow being slapped by a parade of women. Kim rolled her eyes at me and turned her attention back to the screen. She was lying beside me on the floor since she didn't fit comfortably on the couch or in the seats in the theatre room, so we just sat on the floor. Noah and Max were with us and they had both laughed at my comment. Noah was still a little down after the grave scene, but his smiles and laughs were peeking through. He would be okay.

Max on the other hand had been more affected by Abbey and Alex's death than we had ever expected. He had declared Alex's death unfair—since he had not been killed in defence or for food—and he understood what Abbey's death meant for Kim and that this was one of the things that were making her stay in wolf form. But she also had to come to terms with what she had done to Turner. She had tortured and killed him. Her actions had made her sick, proving to us—though we didn't really need proof—that she was just human. Not that we had told Noah and Max about Turner's torture. If Kim wanted to tell them, then she would, but I wouldn't say a word without her say so. I knew she wasn't proud of it, but I was proud of her, so proud.

Suddenly, Noah stood and grabbed the remote from the coffee table, pausing the movie. I stared at him, giving him a questioning look, but he ignored me and looked straight at Kim. One glance at Max and Addison told me that they didn't know what was going on anymore than I did.

"Kim," Noah said gently, looking down at her. My mate cocked her head to the side, surveying her brother with curiosity. I watched him as well, wondering what the hell he was doing. "It's not your fault. It's mine."

I stared at my brother as Kim growled lowly at him and stood, baring her teeth. I hadn't even thought of this. I had been so concentrated on Kim's pain of losing her friend and on what she had done that I hadn't realized that there might be something else in the mix. Guilt. She felt guilty. And now that I thought about it, this diagnostic fit Kim to a tee. She always seemed to carry the weight of the world over her and she always felt responsible for those around her, including, no, especially Abbey. And my brother had figured that out before I had.

"It's my fault Abbey's dead," Noah said now, holding Kim's gaze. She growled louder this time, pulling her ears back as she glared at Noah, clearly telling us that she disagreed effusively with Noah.

"It's not your fault," Max suddenly said, frowning between Noah and Kim. "It's not anyone's fault Turner was a psycho." He glanced at me and I nodded, telling him that he was right. Like I've said, Max and Noah look up to Kim and me as leaders so they always checked with us to know if what they were doing was correct, sometimes if Antonio or Nick were in the room. They had been having a hard time with one of their leaders gone, but Kim was still plenty dominant while in wolf form, if not more, even while in pain.

"Then why does Kim feel guilty?" Noah asked, shooting me a quick glance before looking back at Kim. Kim growled lowly once more and then chuffed, shaking her head and turning her head to the side. Hiding her emotions. Noah was right, she did feel guilty. "It's not your fault that Abbey and Alex are dead. You can't control everything that happens, Kim." My mate didn't even look at him. Instead she turned her back on him and lied down on the floor, curling into a ball. I shot Noah a warning look, but he didn't see it as he watched Kim intently.

"We need you, Kim. I need you. I miss Abbey as well, but it's not our fault," Noah said gently as tears started forming in his eyes. Kim whined lowly and then lifted her head, looking back at Noah. Max stood suddenly and went to stand by Noah, giving Kim a pleading look.

"I want you back, too, Kim, I miss my sister," my youngest brother said, making Kim whine again. She turned her gaze to me, letting me see the pain and sorrow that her eyes held. I lifted a hand a cupped her head, stroking her gently. She closed her eyes and leaned into my touch.

"I love you, amor," I whispered. Without warning, she snapped her eyes open and jumped up, practically running to the door, and only then did I realize that Nick and Antonio were there and had been watching us for who knows how long. Kim shot past them and Antonio looked at me enquiringly, but I just shrugged. I had no idea where my mate was going.

I stood and quickly followed my mate's trail to the backdoors and then to the forest, my family close behind me. Sudden fear erupted within me at the thought that my mate had left and I started running, ignoring the fact that I was bare foot. I sprinted into the forest, twigs snapping beneath my feet—though I ignored the slight pain—and heard grunts and cries of pain. I switched courses and tracked the sounds to a bush where I could hear the sounds of a very painful Change. Kim was Changing.

I sighed in relief just as my family joined me and I noticed that only Antonio was wearing shoes. I grinned at Noah and gave him a tight hug in thank you and then started pacing, already impatient for my mate to come out. She was finally Changing. These past five days had seemed eternal for me with my worries of her never Changing back eating at me at every turn.

When Kim finally emerged, her legs trembling beneath her, I assaulted her in a fierce hug, vowing to never let go. She whimpered at my words and her knees gave way beneath her, making her collapse into my arms. I felt our family move in around us and Max embraced Kim from behind just as she started shaking as the sobs overtook her. Antonio, Nick and Noah closed in on us, forming a group hug that cemented our Pack bonds around Kim, letting her know that we were all here for her and always would be.


	36. Ch 36 Who I Am

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled ****Strong Part 6.**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

**So Small – Carrie Underwood**

What you got if you ain't got love?  
>The kind that you just wanna give away<br>It's okay to open up  
>Go ahead and let the light shine through<p>

I know it's hard on a rainy day  
>You wanna shut the world out<br>And just be left alone  
>But don't run out on your faith<p>

'Cause sometimes that mountain you've been climbing  
>Is just a grain of sand<br>And what you've been out there searching for forever  
>Is in your hands<p>

And when you figure out  
>Love is all that matters after all<br>It sure makes everything else  
>Seem so small<p>

It's so easy to get lost inside  
>A problem that seems so big at the time<br>It's like a river that's so wide  
>It swallows you whole<p>

While you're sitting around thinking 'bout what you can't change  
>And worrying about all the wrong things<br>Time's flying by, moving so fast  
>You better make it count 'cause you can't get it back<p>

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing  
>Is just a grain of sand<br>And what you've been out there searching for forever  
>Is in your hands<p>

Oh, and when you figure out  
>Love is all that matters after all<br>It sure makes everything else  
>Seem so small!<p>

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing  
>Is just a grain of sand<br>And what you've been out there searching for forever  
>Is in your hands<p>

And then you figure out  
>Love is all that matters after all<br>It sure makes everything else  
>Oh, it sure makes everything else<br>Seem so small

Ch 37 Who I Am

I shivered in my mate's arms as he carried me into the house since my legs felt like jelly and I couldn't trust them to hold me up. Without my fur on it seemed like it was much, much colder than it had been. We crossed the threshold and I almost sighed out loud in relief. As Reese took me through the main parts of the house, I tried to regain my focus as a human. Everything just seemed much more complex than as a wolf, even the doorknob.

My body still ached from the painful Change and through my haze I knew that it was because I had spent too much time as a wolf. I didn't regret it, though. I had needed that time to come to terms with my wolf side, with my animal side. I'm not sure if I had completely understood or accepted it yet, but I was well on the way, I think.

I heard a whine from somewhere behind my mate and me and recognized it as Max's. I squeezed my eyes shut and snuggled into Reese, feeling him as he pulled me closer to his body. I had missed my mate, my brothers and my family. They had Changed with me every couple of days, but I had missed their hugs, kisses and coddles. They still gave them to me as a wolf, but it wasn't the same. Still, I was thankful for all that they gave me while I was a wolf, because if they hadn't done that, especially my mate, I probably would never have Changed back. But I wasn't naïve enough to think that nothing had changed because it had.

Exhaustion started setting over my body and I felt as my mate started taking me up the stairs, whispering soft comforts, telling me that he was here and that all would be okay now. I whined softly into his chest and heard as my father asked everyone to give us some time alone. I sent a silent thank you to Antonio for his foresight. Yes, I needed some time alone with my mate. Everything that had kept me a wolf needed to be talked out between us and the sooner the better.

Tears started prickling at my eyes suddenly as grief started to spread, but I pushed them back—well, I tried to, at least. They rolled down silently from my eyes to my mate's shirt, soaking it, but he didn't say a word as he opened my bedroom door. He laid me down gently on my bed and I knew that he could smell the flare of emotions that was erupting within me. Everything that I had escaped as a wolf seemed to be crashing down on me. A wolf couldn't cry, so I guess I was making up for everything that I held back until then.

"I'm here, _amor_," Reese whispered as he got into bed beside me. He pulled the covers over us and I curled into him, the tears flowing harder and faster now. Despite everything that I had done, whether consciously or not, he was still here by my side, comforting me with his words and his presence. He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer to him and I wondered if he knew exactly what happened that night that Turner took me.

Despite everyone's words, I still felt guilty of Abbey's death. I should never have contacted her after being bitten. The Pack had warned me of the dangers of being a werewolf and I hadn't even considered that those dangers could affect Abbey until the night Turner attacked her and Noah. Turner had been so focused on getting Max and Noah that I hadn't considered the danger Abbey was in as well until it was too late.

"Shh," my mate whispered as he rubbed soft circles into my back, feeling as the sobs intensified when I thought of how I would never see my friend again. She was gone, forever. And Alex, did they know about Alex? If they didn't, would it change anything? Was I just taking advantage of their ignorance?

Without warning, I pulled away from my mate and sat up, my breathing coming hard as I fought to steady myself. I closed my eyes and shivered slightly, inhaling though my nose now and breathing in the scents of my room. I focused on the smells and could find Max's and Noah's on my bed. They hadn't slept with us since my first night back, but before that they had slept every so often with us, so their scents were embedded deep within the mattress, making me miss them so much.

"I need to tell you something," I murmured, my back still to him and my eyes still closed. For a moment he didn't move or say a word, but then I felt him shift beside me and sit up, wrapping his arms around me, letting me feel his bare chest against my bare skin. I shivered at the contact and only then did I realize how much I had missed it. I had missed this closeness with him but now I ached for more in spite of my tiredness. But I couldn't do it. He needed to know about everything that I had done.

"Tell me, _cariño_," he said softly, leaning his head against my shoulder. I couldn't help but lean back into him, pressing myself against him and feeling his warmth. God, how I'd missed him. I inhaled him deeply before telling him about Alex.

A trickle of anger escaped my mate before it disappeared into sadness, the smell of his paling in comparison to mine. I had used Alex to get to Reese, whether I had thought of it like that before or not, it didn't matter. I had used him and after seeing me with Reese he knew it. Turner had used his anger towards me to get to me. And now Alex was dead because I hadn't been able to face Reese and tell him what I felt.

"No, _amor_," Reese said firmly when I told him this. He suddenly pulled away from me and the next moment I had him before me, holding onto my face with both hands and gazing at me with a determined look in his eyes. The wolf was also present, but he had a familiar gleam that I had come to recognize as territorial.

"It's not your fault, Kim," he said as he wiped a stray tear away. "You can't control everything that happens. It was Alex's choice to trust Turner, not yours. And it's not your fault that Turner was stir crazy. He thought you were Rachel, _amor_. He had already killed many other times to get her back and then to get you back, but those deaths weren't your fault either. Bodies always follow crazy mutts, _mi vida_. There was nothing you could have done to prevent Abbey and Alex's deaths."

Before he had even finished speaking, I was already in his arms sobbing violently. He pulled me to him and held me in his arms as I rode out the storm. Deep down I knew he was right, but the blame I felt was still there. I knew that there was nothing I could have done to prevent their deaths unless I had known what was going to happen that night. But I now knew—and I had learned it the hard way—that my life entailed too many dangers for non-supernaturals. And now that I really thought about, I understood why the Pack had forbidden long term relationships with humans and why most supernaturals didn't form relationships with them. Our world was just too dangerous.

I had brought my friend back into my life because she was a part of it, she was my sister and in all but blood. My real sister, who I had planned on contacting, would never hear from me. I had wanted to open up our long lost connection, but I couldn't do it now. Bringing her back into my life could be more than dangerous, it could be deadly. No, she was safer and happier without me in her life and I would have to live with that.

With tears still flowing down my face, I pulled away from my mate and kissed him. Startled, he hesitated for a moment before returning the kiss. He was gentle at first, almost as if I was suddenly a glass doll instead of a person. I was quick to correct him, though. I pushed my way into him and kissed him hungrily, desperate to feel him again. He gave into me almost instantly.

The kiss had us both gasping for air in seconds and it reminded me of the kisses we had shared in the woods when we first talked about our feelings. Back then I had wanted to make sure that what he felt was the same as me, but now I needed to know that it was still the same and that nothing had changed between us. Except for his hesitancy in the beginning, nothing had changed and that aroused me more than anything.

Reese was hard underneath me by the time he pulled away. I knew that he would want to reclaim me to impregnate me with his scent and mark me as his since it had been a while since he had done so, but he probably realized just how tired I was. He held onto my face as he pressed his forehead to mine, breathing hard. I kept my eyes closed and whined as I brushed my nose against his, my wolf still very close at hand since I had spent so much time as a wolf.

"I missed you," I whispered suddenly. My mate stopped breathing for a split second and then he pulled away from me, still holding onto my face. I opened my eyes to see his gaze filled with warmth and love—love I had doubted I would ever find in my life until I met him.

"I missed you too, _amor_," he murmured as he stroked my cheek and then kissed me lightly before pulling away. I whined again, aching for him despite my exhaustion, but he raised a finger to my lips and gazed at me. I saw warring emotions flash behind his eyes before they steeled on sadness.

"Wait," my mate said gently. I felt my wolf whine within me at our mate's apparent sadness, but I held her down as I waited for Reese to speak. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. Remember I told that my mum was…raped?" I frowned at him and nodded, not understanding where this was going and my tiredness wasn't helping me to figure it out. It didn't take me long to understand, though, as he told me the story that had brought him to the States.

Tears rained down my face once more by the time he finished and even a few tears had fallen down his cheeks. I reached out to him and wiped away a few before assaulting him. My wolf couldn't bare the sight of her mate in such pain, so I gave into the need to comfort him. I kissed him hard and ground against him, forgetting everything just so I could be with him. He gave in to me and his hands trailed over my bare body, mapping it with some movements until he suddenly pushed me away, holding me back with his eyes closed. I saw him take deep breaths, regaining control of himself, before opening his eyes where the wolf was very present.

"It's not your fault," he whispered and pierced me with a look that had me shivering in his arms. I nodded and blinked hard to stop more tears from falling.

"It's not yours either," I whispered, wondering how I could ever repay my mate for what he had just done. Almost every trace of my self blame had disappeared, leaving behind the void of endless grief. Reese nodded and leaned into me, nuzzling his nose into my neck, his arms still wrapped firmly around me waist. I held onto him and rubbed circles into his back. I knew that this could not have been easy for him. Talking about his parents was always painful and now I knew why.

"I know its not," he breathed against my neck. "It took me a while to figure it out, but I know I'm not guilty. Now I only blame Daniella and the Australian Pack and one day I'll have my justice, just like you had yours."

I stiffened despite myself but quickly forced myself to relax. I'm not sure how I felt about what I had done to Turner, but there was no denying that it was the culmination of my change. The Pack and the wolf had healed me and I was no longer broken. Everything that I had held back, my anger, my sadness, all my emotions that I had bottled up for years had been escaping since I was bitten. But Turner had brought out my more wild side, my animal side, and I had no idea how to feel about it.

My mate, no doubt sensing my sudden tension, pulled me harder against him. From the very beginning I had known that I would have to kill to survive in this world, but the full impact of what that meant didn't hit me until now. I had killed for revenge, yes, but I had also killed to survive. If I hadn't killed Turner when I had the chance, I'm sure Turner would have cracked and tried to take me. But that didn't make me feel any better about what I had done.

I had also tortured him, made him suffer immeasurable pain and then killed him. Killing was accepted and understood within the Pack and the world I now lived in—though I still needed to accept and understand it myself—but what about torture? I knew for a fact that Clay had done his fair share of torturing in his lifetime, but I had no idea if my family and Pack would see it as okay. I don't like what I did, but looking back on it, I know I would have done it again. That mutt had killed so many people, among them a friend and a sister—he deserved what he got at my hands.

"I didn't lie to you, sweetheart," Reese suddenly said, startling me out of my thoughts. He pulled away form me so he could look me in the eyes while he spoke, his deep blue pools piercing me to the core. "If you hadn't done that to him or killed him, what Antonio or I would have done would have been much, much worse," he said, so fiercely that there was little room for doubt.

I gazed at him for a moment, biting my lip, and then nodded. "I know," I whispered. He was right. Maybe five months ago I wouldn't have believed it if someone had told me that they were capable of torture and murder for me, but now I knew better. My mate, whose eyes shone with love and warmth, would have tortured Turner until the end of his days if anything had happened to me. Even if they had gotten to me in time and Turner hadn't hurt me at all, they still would have had their revenge for all the pain he had caused us as a family and as a Pack.

"I just…I don't know how to feel," I murmured, hoping he would understand what I was saying. I just had no idea about how to feel after torturing and killing Turner. And something told me it wouldn't be the last time I killed someone.

"I can't promise that it will get easier because it won't," my mate said soothingly, softly caressing my cheek with one hand. "All I can say is that this is our life. We've all killed and tortured. It isn't "easy" for any of us, but we deal and we help each other to deal. We're all here for you, _cariño_, and no one will judge you for what you have done." I bit my lip again, trying to hold back the flow of tears that seemed to have no end, and nodded.

"Give it time," he murmured and leaned into me, nuzzling my neck once more and kissing it lightly. "And I'll be here to help you for whatever you need." Words failed me then as more tears rolled down my cheeks and I started hiccupping. Without a word, my mate leaned back and lied us back down on the bed, me atop of him.

"Sleep, _amor_," he whispered and started rubbing soft circles into my back, lulling me into sleep. I smiled weakly and nodded against his chest before getting comfortable, the warmth of his body against mine making me feel loved and protected, letting me forget about everything that happened and just let me rest in peace.

Reese POV

My mate was back, she was really, really back. My wolf purred within me as I gently pushed a stray hair away from her face and I heard her sigh softly. No one had known what her state of mind would be after so much time as a wolf, but it seemed like she was mostly Kim. I could see the change in her eyes as they now held a touch of sadness that I knew would be with her for quite some time. But she was back and here with me.

I stared down at Kim and marvelled at the fact that she was so strong. I had known she was strong of course, I always had. But her killing Turner didn't seem to affect her as much as we had thought. She seemed to accept it, though she didn't really know how to feel about it. Since I had been born with the wolf within me, it was easier for me to accept my kills since it ensured my survival and that of the Pack's. Spending time as a wolf had seemed to help Kim accept that as well, though I wasn't sure.

I pressed my head against her shoulder and breathed her in, feeling how our mate bond grew stronger and stronger. There were no secrets between us, not anymore. I had always intended to tell Kim about my parents, from the moment I realized that my wolf had mated to me to her, but I had decided to wait. First I had needed to wait to see how she felt towards me, then I had needed to form our mate bond and lastly I had wanted to wait until our relationship had stabilized before saying anything.

If I had had any fears of what Kim would think of my past or of my need for vengeance, they were swiftly silenced at the sight of her tears. Our relationship was stable enough, I had decided, for me to tell her now and help her rise above her guilt. I was just glad that it worked because otherwise I would have had no idea on how to get her to realize that she wasn't guilty of anything, though I'm sure our family and the Pack would have helped. Kim was loved more than she knew, I think.

With my head still pressed against my mate's shoulders, I let my body relax and was just about to let sleep take me when I realized something. There was still one secret between us, at least as far as I knew. I had no idea if Kim had realized that we could feel each other's pain, nor did I know how she would react when she found out. I quickly though it through and decided that for now it was best to wait. Kim had a lot on her mind right now and this was something that could wait until she wasn't so grief-stricken.

Gently, I laid an arm over her belly and pressed myself against her, feeling her with me and aching for her touch, but that could wait. I was exhausted and so was my mate, though my burning need to reclaim her grew when I realized that my scent was barely on her. Tomorrow, if she was ready, I would take her back and prove to her that I really was here for her and that I wanted her. I would always want her and she needed to know that.

Kim POV

I touched my mate's face softly, my heart aching at the sight of him looking so defenceless in his sleep. He had dark shadows under his eyes and I knew they were my fault. Every night he had Changed so he could be with me at night, both of us sleeping in wolf form. During the day he would also Change so we could run together in the woods. Changing so often for the past few days had taken its toll. It was way past noon and he was still sleeping. I had been tired, but my mate was beyond exhausted.

I whined softly at this show of love and wondered how I ever got so lucky. Reese loved me. I had known it and he had proved it time and time again, and yet I hadn't fully realized what love meant until now. He was still here, by my side, despite everything that I had done and was willingly going to help me through my troubles. Granted, I'm sure he had had his fair share of kills as well, but him being here with me was beyond words right then. And he never gave up on me.

While I was a wolf, the word around me had seemed surreal. I had been living in the house as a wolf but surrounded by humans—well, werewolves in human form but still. I know there were times that my mate had been scared for me and I remember feeling afraid too on several occasions when the human became stronger than the wolf. I had been terrified at the thought that my mate would eventually give up on me and leave me at the mercy of my sorrow, but he never left. He was by my side every single day, hurting himself to be with me, so we could be together as wolves, as mates.

I thought back on what he had said last night and knew he was right. I just needed time. Everyone in the Pack, even Max and Noah, had already killed. Some had tortured too, but they had all come to terms with their actions, so I knew that acceptance of my actions would only come with time. Having my mate by my side would help me to accept more than time will, I think. If he was okay with what I had done, then so was I.

This didn't mean that I looked forward to my next kill, on the contrary. But I knew it was necessary. This was my life now. I was a werewolf, half human, half wolf. If I couldn't accept what I had done and what I had to do to survive, then I was going to die very soon. I understood that. I might never be comfortable with killing, but I would do what I had to do to survive and to protect my mate, my family and my Pack.

"Kim," my mate groaned and opened his eyes lazily. I smiled at him and he smiled back, his eyes twinkling with warmth. Suddenly, he rolled over so he was facing me and quickly wrapped an arm around me, pulling me to him.

"Good morning to you, too," I chuckled softly as I snuggled into him. Reese knew that I was still a little unsure of displays of affection so he made sure to always show his love to me, whether it was with sex or with small things like this, and I loved him for it.

"I love you," I murmured into his chest and heard him make a small noise in his throat that sounded like a whine. Without warning, he rolled us so he was on top of me and quickly came down on my lips, kissing me hard. I gasp from the force but quickly wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer and arching my hips against his.

His kiss was possessive and passionate, though mostly the former and I knew why. He hadn't marked me as his in quite some time and his scent was no longer engrained in me. I smelled like him because we had slept together but it wasn't the same. His wolf and him needed to reclaim their mate and I was all too willing to let them take me, especially since this was his way of proving to me that he still wanted me and would always want me no matter what.

Hungrily, he abandoned my lips and trailed down my body, mapping it with everything he had and marking me every now and then. By the time he finished exploring my body all I wanted was him and only him. I thrust my hips roughly against his, feeling his arousal and making him moan. That was the limit of his control it seemed since he quickly pulled away and yanked his boxers off.

Unfortunately, though understandably, I had been off the pill for a week so it was the first time we would have to use protection. I knew this would hinder him by not letting him really mark me, but it would do for now. I doubt we could wait a week for this. We both needed this as a reassurance. Him to know that I was back and to in turn reassure me that he loved me and that he was here for me.

Slowly, he slid into me and held himself there for a moment, watching me from above, his wolf almost fully present in his eyes. His gaze held a possessive look that had me shivering beneath him and wiggling my hips against his, pleading him to begin. But he didn't. Instead, he said gently, "Wrap your legs around me."

I did as he said, trusting my mate with my life, and felt as he went in deeper. I moaned as he shifted his hold on me and started thrusting, going further than he ever had and reaching places that had me screaming to the heavens. I climaxed harder than ever, trembling and screaming in pleasure like I never had before. When I was done, my mate quickly set about preparing me for another round, putting me in another position that allowed him to reach that spot again, claiming me in more ways than one.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," he whispered into my ear, wrapping an arm around me and gently pulling me to him as I regained my breath. "And I always will." Before I could return his words of love, someone knocked on the door, making Reese growl softly. I smiled against his chest and pulled back, giving him a look. He sighed but nodded and let me go. I pulled the sheets up over me and called our visitor in.

The door opened and Antonio peeked inside. Once he saw that we were decent—at least not doing anything intimate, at least not anymore—he opened the door fully and stepped into the room. His eyes fell instantly on me and I could see him trying to gauge if I was okay. He glanced at Reese behind me who probably gave him the okay and then he turned back to me, taking a step closer.

"Princess," he said gently, stepping forward cautiously. My heart ached as I suddenly realized what I must have put him through by staying wolf. Not just him, but my mate and family as well. But I'd needed to do it. By being in harmony with my wolf, I had been able to mostly understand and accept my deeds, but it had also helped to ignore the pain and grief of Abbey's death.

I jumped out of the bed suddenly, the sheets flying over my mate, and ran at my father, not caring in the least that I was naked or that my body was covered in bruise-like hickies. I just couldn't care anymore. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him fiercely as tears rained down my face. Through my sobs, I tried to say that I was sorry for hiding behind my wolf, but my father just shushed me, holding me tightly against him.

"It's okay, sweetheart," he said softly. After more tears and more reassurances that everything was okay, I let him go and fell back into my mate's arms. He held me tight, engulfing me in his scent and presence, as we waited for Antonio to speak.

"Jeremy is downstairs, _principessa_, and he wants to speak to you." Dread and fear suddenly built up within me and my mate instantly stiffened when the smell of my emotions reached him. Antonio noticed as well, so he quickly added, "He just wants to know if you're okay, sweetheart." I nodded and looked away from my father, knowing that Jeremy would also want to talk about what I did to Turner and that I would also have to tell him about what Alex did.

"It's okay, princess," he whispered as he stepped over to us and lifted a hand to my cheek, stroking it lightly. Only then did I realize that his touch was different. It reminded me of when we first met, back when he had treated me like I would fall apart with the lightest of touches.

"I know, dad," I said softly and took his hand in mine, pressing it against my cheek. "I'm fine, Antonio, I promise." He gave me a wide smile and nodded, but I knew that it would be a while before he truly believed me. His princess had killed a mutt and had watched her friend die and had spent several days as a wolf. I was pretty sure that he just didn't know how to act around me.

"I love you," he said suddenly, bringing more tears to my eyes. "And I'll be here for whatever you need, whenever you need, okay?" I bit my lip to hold back the sobs and nodded, wiping away the tears that had already fallen. He gave me one last smile and then left.

I fell apart then and collapsed on the floor in my mate's arms. Being with Reese had eclipsed the one fact that had become painstakingly obvious with Antonio's visit. I was changed. I was no longer the girl that had been bitten four months ago, or the girl that had sung Skyscraper a week ago. Now I had killed, unleashing all the hate and anger that I had built up inside for years, punishing Turner with all that I had. It would be a while before I accepted who I had become, but I knew that my mate and my family would be by my side until I did.

Once I had calmed down, my mate took me to the shower, making the water extra hot, just the way I liked it. I relished in the feel of the water over my skin, never having thought that I could miss something as simple as showering as a human. It just wasn't the same as a wolf and definitely not as comfortable.

I dressed slowly, the movement of my hands and fingers still coming back to me. It didn't seem like it, but five days as a wolf did a lot. My legs didn't feel as wobbly as they had yesterday, but they still hurt, as did most of my body and this morning's session hadn't helped, though I honestly didn't regret it.

Reese took my hand in his and kissed me lightly before he started guiding me towards the door, but I pulled him to a stop. He looked at me questioningly, but I just bit my lip, wondering how I was supposed to say this. He had been there for me and he was still there for me, standing by my side without thinking it twice. I wanted us to be equals and I wanted to be there for him as well.

"I'm going with you," I said softly. He stared at me, obviously not understanding. "When you go back to have your justice, I'm going with you." I said it firmly, making sure that there was no way he was going to make me back down from my decision, but that didn't stop him from trying.

"No," he growled lowly. When I just held his gaze without saying a word, he closed his eyes, backing down from me and pinching the bridge f his nose. "No, _amor_. I can't let you do that," he said more softly now.

"It's not your choice to make, _cariño_. I'm going," I said firmly. His eyes suddenly flew open with a look of determination and he was just about to say something when the door to my room opened. Nick walked in but stopped in his tracks when he saw Reese's stiff shoulders and the wolf in full display in his eyes. Nick brought out his own wolf, roughly pushing Reese's back. Once Reese had backed down with a soft growl, Nick turned to look at me.

He looked me up and down and then held my gaze, his eyes going right through me, and I could feel him trying to gauge my state of mind. I know I probably should have lost my mind with everything that I had seen, done and been through, but I hadn't. Somehow I had kept it together and I knew that being with my family and Pack had helped me stay me—or mostly me.

As with Antonio I went straight to Nick and hugged him, plastering myself against him and leaving no doubt that I was fine. I was fine per se, but I was far from perfect, for now. Nick chuckled softly and hugged me back, saying, "I missed you, too, sweetie." I didn't let him go until I was sure that he was here for me, but his embrace said more than his words. "I'm here, hun," he whispered, rubbing his cheek against the top of my head and making me whine. I was glad in that moment that I wasn't still naked, or Reese, who was still no doubt stressed about what I had just said, would have exploded for sure.

When I finally stepped away from him, I chanced a look back at my mate to see that he had visibly calmed down and that his territoriality was back in place since he was giving Nick a death glare for having held me for so long. I quickly took his hand to reassure him, stroking it gently. He nodded at me and then started leading me out of the room. I knew better than to think that our argument had ended. But Reese could argue all he wanted to. I was going with him and nothing would stop from doing so. The people responsible for his parents' deaths deserved to die and Reese deserved his justice. I was not looking forward to it but I would do whatever I had to for my mate.

As we passed Nick on our way out, I have expected Nick to pull me out of Reese's grasp and kiss me, initiating one of his dominance games over me. It wasn't serious, though, it never was. It was just all fun and games for Nick, but it still pissed my mate off royally. I should have known better, though. Nick did nothing, just smiled at me and then followed us out. He, like Antonio, was being cautious and had no idea what to do with me. The only person that didn't seem off balance around me was my mate.

"Where are Max and Noah?" I asked as we headed down the stairs, glancing back at Nick.

"School," he responded. Oh, right. It was Friday. I inwardly whined and wished I could see my brothers now. They had helped me so much, especially Noah. Without them and their continued support I wouldn't have had the strength to Change back and that last extra push they gave me helped me more than I could say. I knew that Max was off, though. We had barely been together while I was a wolf and I was desperate to seek him out and show him that I missed him.

Besides, I needed to see and know that they were there. That insecure part of me, that emerged when things got rough, was aching with the need to feel accepted once more, for the person I was now. My mate had accepted me in more ways than one and Nick and Antonio had both told me that they were here. Now I just needed my brothers and then I could start to accept myself, I hope.

The three of us stepped into Antonio's study to find Antonio himself with the Alpha and Alpha-elect. Elena instantly smiled at me, nodding. Her acceptance of me. I mentally sighed in relief and then turned to the Alpha. His black eyes were emotionless as ever as they surveyed me, taking me for all I was worth and I knew he was looking for the wolf. I could feel her strongly within me but I had her under control. Once Jeremy was satisfied with my control, he nodded. My shoulders suddenly relaxed as I let go of the tension I hadn't realized that I had been building up until then.

Jeremy gestured for us to sit down on the empty couch and I saw Nick go over to his father, seating himself on the arm of the lazy boy. I sat with my mate's hand still holding onto me, gripping my hand tightly and letting me know that he was here. I breathed in deeply, inhaling him and comforting the wolf as well.

"How are you feeling, Kim?" Jeremy asked, not unkindly. I took a moment before answering, knowing that I could not lie to him. How was I feeling? Honestly, a little off balance, like I had lost myself and was searching blindly in the dark to find myself. I was close and I felt like I just needed everyone's acceptance before finally finding myself. Of course once I had found myself I would need to accept who I was now, but that would come with time, I knew.

"Overwhelmed," I said truthfully. Guilt no longer gnawed at me, not after what my mate had told me, but grief was now flooding through me and I was dreading the moment when I would have to face Abbey's death and look it straight in the eye. Jeremy nodded, as if he had expected this, and then leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful.

"Do you feel up to telling is what happened during your time with Turner and what occurred the night he took you?" As I considered what he was asking, my mate gripped my hand painfully and I knew that he was on the verge of growling at the Alpha.

"Yes," I quickly said, knowing that the sooner I got this over with the better. My mate was tense for only the first few sentences and then relaxed, allowing me to relax with him and not shed a single tear during my narration. When I told them about how Abbey died, my throat closed up and I had to take a moment to regain myself before ploughing on. When I reached the point of my call to Reese, I just couldn't continue. Tears threatened on the threshold and I felt Reese wrap an arm around my waist in comfort.

"We're proud of you, Kimberly," Jeremy said suddenly. I stared at him disbelievingly through my blurred vision since I hadn't expected those words at all and saw his lips twitch as his eyes twinkled lightly. "You did more than what we could have ever asked for or expected from you under the circumstances. Not only that, but you showed an enormous amount of control when you didn't let your wolf make you feed on Turner and Abbey." He paused for a moment as he watched me absorb his words that had left me with a sick feeling and then continued.

"As you know, I had ordered Turner's execution, but I had not given you permission for justice. However, the circumstances exempt you from punishment. But from now on, I expect you to wait for mine or Elena's say so before you act again. Am I understood?" he asked in his Alpha voice and I nodded before adding verbally that I did understand. I hadn't even considered the fact that I could be punished for what I had done, but now that I thought about it, it made sense. The Alpha called the shots and I had acted without his consent. Realizing this, I quickly bared my neck to him, completely submitting to him.

"Kim," I heard Elena say and swung my gaze over to her. She smiled slightly as she eyed me and said, "When you feel up to it, I'd like to spend some time with you. Just you and me."

"Okay," I said. I had expected this. When I was a wolf, she had liked to spend an hour or two with me, just talking about this and that. I had known what she was doing and knew what she was doing now. She wanted us to have more of a girl on girl relationship now that Abbey was gone. My heart hurt at the thought of my friend and I quickly pushed thoughts of her aside for now.

"Princess," I heard my father say now and suddenly realized that he was standing just a few feet in front of me. Once he saw that I was paying attention he came up to me and kneeled so we were eye to eye. Worry and a touch of grief clouded his gaze. "Sweetheart, we buried Abbey and Alex here…" He trailed off at the look on my face and quickly embraced me, ignoring Reese's soft growl as he was pushed aside.

I tried to hold the tears back but it was impossible. I just couldn't hold them back anymore, not even with Reese by my side. Antonio held me against him for god knows how long and only pulled back when all my tears had dried and I had stopped hiccupping. He touched my face lightly as I rubbed my sore eyes and made a soft comforting noise.

"Come on, sweetie," Elena suddenly said and I saw her stand from her chair, coming over to me. Without a word, she took my hand and led me out of Antonio's study, ordering Reese to stay put when he tried to follow us and grabbing a largish box from beside Jeremy.

Elena guided me all the way through the house all the way to the back glass sliding doors, opening them and taking me outside. I said nothing while she tugged me out into the backyard and sat me down on the grass. The sun shone brightly above us, spring just around the corner. Without a word, she opened the box and took out an old looking volume that I instantly recognized. The Legacy. Silently, she opened it and went straight to the genealogy section and handed it to me. I gingerly took the old tome in my hands and stared down at the page where all the members of the current Pack could be seen.

I whimpered softly as I saw that Reese's name and mine had now been joined by a thin line just like Elena and Clay's. We were mates and the Pack recognized as such. I bit my lip, trying to hold back the sudden tears. I traced the line with a finger, feeling the age old paper beneath it, and felt truly accepted. It was a little immature for me to be seeking the approval of the Pack and my family, but I needed it too. The life I had had led me to want and need the approval of those around me, especially of those that I loved.

"Thank you," I whispered, quickly giving her back the book before I stained it with my tears. I saw her smile through my blurry vision but then it was obscured as she hugged me to her, comforting my wolf with her presence.

"If you ever need to talk about, I'm just a phone call away," she said gently and I nodded against her. She had been trying to form a friendship with me while I was still in wolf form so she had told me a few things about her past. Like how she had lost a dear friend and how killing a human had led to her leaving the Pack for almost a year. I'd absorbed her stories, but my wolf hadn't let me ponder them while I had been in wolf form. Now, though, I knew that I would need to talk to her about it because she was probably the only person that understood what I was going through since she was a bitten wolf as well. But I would let my mate comfort my grief, since he also understood and knew what I was going through.

Suddenly, I pulled back and looked at her in the eye. She gazed straight back at me expectantly and waiting for me to say something. "What was it like for you?" I said lowly and looked away, suddenly unsure of I should have asked. It took her a moment to answer, but I was glad she did.

"Hard and it still is at times, but you get used to it after a while," she said gently and I glanced back at her, but she wasn't looking at me. She was looking the tress and beyond, lost in her memories, I suppose. "It's harder for us, though. We grew up in a world where killing another person was the height of wrong. In this world its pretty much expected of you." She sighed softly and I leaned back into her, letting her comfort me some more. I just needed someone to hold me right then and though I hadn't had a strong relationship with Elena before, I knew I needed it to become stronger since she as probably the best person to talk about this with.

We sat there on the grass for a while longer before I decided that I needed to go see Abbey. The sooner I went to see her, the sooner I could start moving on, though in that precise moment it felt like I would never be able to move on. How could I manage without my best friend, without my sister? My heart clenched painfully then and I forced the images of when I last saw her out of my mind and tried to focus on our more happier moments, but that just made m cry some more.

Elena asked to accompany me but I refused. I needed to do this alone. She explained where the clearing she had been buried was and then went back inside, leaving me alone to walk through the woods. It surprised me that she was leaving me alone after how much time I had spent as a wolf, but I suppose that they were certain that I hadn't lost my mind. I wasn't so sure yet.

I stepped into the woods and walked down one of its many paths, feeling the emptiness that grew with every step I took. It took me only a moment to realize where this void was coming from. It was the first time in a while that I came in here alone. I was normally with my mate or father while I was in wolf form and there absence was palpable as I reached my destination.

I had barely taken one step into the clearing when I broke down. Abbey's initials had been engraved on the large oak tree and I could still see where the dirt had been raised about a week ago. Suddenly, I felt as the air was knocked out of me. I fell to my knees and leaned against the closest tree, trying desperately to breath, but it seemed like no air was reaching my lungs.

"Shh," I suddenly heard some time later, or maybe a few seconds later, I don't know. My heart hurt too much to focus on the passage of time. Nothing else mattered then but the fact that Abbey was gone and that she was never coming back. And her family would never know.

Strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a firm body with a scent I knew better than my own. Reese said nothing as he held me and I sobbed uncontrollably against his chest, his scent and presence allowing me to breathe somewhat normally. When the flow of tears started to thin, I chanced a look back at the grave and regretted instantly. I whimpered and shook violently as I saw Alex's grave right beside Abbey's, his initials engraved in the tree beside Abbey's. We hadn't been close, but I knew, even now, that if Reese didn't exist, maybe something could have happened between us and I had used that to my advantage.

I fell into a whimpering and shaking fit then, unable to breathe properly or utter a comprehensible word. Once Reese realized that it wasn't going to let up, he took me in his arms and carried me out of the woods, making shushing noises and trying to soothe me with the knowledge that he was here, but it didn't help. In that moment, it felt like nothing would ever be okay and that this heart-wrenching pain would never, ever go away.


	37. Ch 37 Change

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Strong Part 7.**

* * *

><p><em>I'd like to thank <em>**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

**Defying Gravity – Glee**

Something has changed within me  
>Something is not the same<br>I'm through with playing by the rules  
>Of someone else's game<br>Too late for second-guessing  
>Too late to go back to sleep<br>It's time to trust my instincts  
>Close my eyes and leap!<p>

It's time to try defying gravity  
>I think I'll try defying gravity<br>Kiss me goodbye I am defying gravity  
>And you won't bring me down!<p>

I'm through accepting limits  
>'cause someone says they're so<br>Some things I cannot change  
>But till I try, I'll never know!<br>Too long I've been afraid of  
>Losing love I guess I've lost<br>Well, if that's love  
>It comes at much too high a cost!<p>

I'd sooner buy defying gravity  
>Kiss me goodbye I'm defying gravity<br>I think I'll try defying gravity  
>And you won't bring me down!<p>

Ch 37 Change

I fidgeted anxiously next to my mate, wishing that my brothers would just get home. I missed them, so god damned much. They had no idea what they had done for me and what they were still doing for me. They, along with my mate, were the ones keeping me together. My hurt and pain was bearable as long as I had other things to worry about, which was what happened before I came to the Pack. I was miserable and depressed until Abbey entered my life, filling me with the need and desire to help her and putting my problems aside for her. Now, my brothers needed me.

"Relax, sweetheart, they'll be here soon," Reese whispered, rubbing his fingers gently into my side as he nuzzled my neck. I curled into him, forever grateful that he was here by my side in that moment. I knew that he would always be here now.

I breathed in deeply, inhaling my mate's relaxing scent, and forced myself to think. I knew that if Noah and Max hadn't asked me to Change back and said that they accepted and needed me, I probably wouldn't have Changed back so soon. I'd missed my mate and my family, but I'd needed some time to be alone with my wolf. However, I'd seen the pain in Noah's eyes and the growing distance between Max and me hurt beyond measure. My little brother had been growing further and further away from me with each passing day. I needed to see him and make this right again. I needed them and they needed me.

I stayed lost in my thoughts until I heard a familiar car come up the driveway. I tried to stand, but Reese held me tightly in his arms. I turned in his arms and gave him a look but quickly stopped. The look in his eyes made my heart ache with longing, making me forget about Noah momentarily. His hand came up from my waist and cupped my cheek while his pure blue eyes pierced through me.

"I'm not going anywhere, _amor_," I murmured to him, knowing that this was what was hurting him. I nodded slightly and he closed his eyes as I reached out and touched his face lightly. "I love you," I whispered just as we heard the garage door open. After one last reassurance that I was here for good, we stood, but Noah was already in the doorway, Antonio and Nick just off to the side but I barely noticed them. All my attention was on Noah.

I stared at my brother and took a small step towards him, almost frozen in place with what I was seeing. As a wolf I hadn't been able to see what damage Abbey's passing had had over Noah—I'd been too worried on other things. But now I could see that he had lost weight and seemed smaller than he really was. His eyes held grief and sadness and they only lightened up when they saw me. Before I could think of what do to, my brother was on me and hugging me fiercely, crushing me with a strength his body really shouldn't have.

I hesitated for only a split second before returning the embrace full force, feeling as his body shook against mine. His tears came hard and fast and quickly soaked through my shirt and hair, but I didn't care. I held him tightly and gently sat us down on the couch. He was practically sitting on me, but again, I didn't care. Noah needed me more than I'd thought. Abbey was my friend and sister, but I was sure that she had also been Noah's mate. His pain could not be compared to mine, I think.

My brother was so obviously hurting inside and out that I cursed myself for my selfishness. When he had needed me, I had stayed in wolf form where he was able to reach me. Then again, maybe it wasn't selfishness. Now that I had almost accepted and understood what I did I would be able to help him. If I hadn't come to terms with my wild side, then maybe I would be useless and wouldn't be able to help him right then like I now could.

Predictably, tears rained down my face as well and I was soon sobbing into my brother as much as he sobbed into me. Through my blurred vision I'd seen Antonio and Nick in the doorway looking in on us with sad smiles painted on the lips, but I soon buried my head into Noah again, losing them from sight. All that mattered right then was my brother. I wouldn't rest until he was better again, no matter what it took on my behalf.

I felt my mate beside me, holding me while I held Noah. He comforted us with his silent presence, simply reassuring us that he was here for us if we needed him. I heard him whine a couple of times and I knew that he felt bad since there was nothing he could do to ease our pain. Grief only eased with time, unfortunately, and he knew that.

Some time later, all our tears had dried and there were no more to shed. We sat silently on the couch as I held Noah still, rubbing circles into his back as he sniffed every so often. What I wouldn't give to stop his hurting.

"I love you, Kim," Noah whispered into my shoulder. I whimpered softly and pulled my brother closer to me, hating how I could easily wrap my arms around his thin frame and wondering how no one had stopped this from happening to him. While I pondered this, I also thought about if he would be able to see the change in me. Despite the reasons for my change, I knew it was a good and necessary one.

I had killed and tortured. I had lost my best fried and sister. And I had watched a friend get killed because of his anger towards me. All of that had changed me. I now knew in person what the dangers of my life were and I had learned it the hard way. From now on the only people I would allow myself to care for were my family and Pack, no one else. From this moment onwards, my Pack would always come first, always. And now I knew I would really do whatever I had to do to protect my brothers if I really was considered their leader within the Pack.

Eventually, Noah pulled away, but I held onto his hands. Without a word, I got up and dragged him along with me. If I was my brother's leader, then I needed to be one for him right then. I led him out of the living room, past Nick who gazed at us quizzically and through the house to the kitchen, Antonio was nowhere in sight, but wherever he was I knew he'd be back soon. I forced Noah into a chair and then quickly set about preparing dinner.

My mate, either quick on the uptake or following my lead, came to my side and helped me with the meal. In less than twenty minutes we had steaks and French fries on a plate for Noah. I gave him an extra large ration and sat down beside him with my own plate. Reese and Nick sat down, too, neither of them looking as if they understood what I was doing. Ignoring them, I turned to my brother and said, "Eat." He just stared at me. "Eat," I repeated more forcefully, drawing my wolf out a little since she was already close to the surface.

Noah nodded once and then looked down at his plate, slowly starting to eat. I watched him closely as he ate and saw out of the corner of my eye that Nick was watching me intently. Antonio had probably gone to pick up Max and had left Nick on guard duty. Even then I knew that it would be a while before they started treating me normally again and stopped watching me so closely. They were probably scared that the wolf would take over or something, but she wouldn't. I had her firmly under control and I was dealing as best I could with what had happened. But I wasn't a fragile piece of glass that would break with a soft touch and they needed to know that and right then I was proving it to Nick.

When Noah was half way through the food on his plate, he sat back and stared down at his plate, looking a little sick. I growled lowly at him and he reluctantly started eating again. He still had half a steak and less than half of his chips when he started moving his food around on the plate. I growled again, making sure it was deep by channelling my wolf. Noah whined softly but obeyed. I shot a quick glance across the table and got a smile from my mate and an amazed look from Nick.

Almost an hour after I had served Noah his food, he emptied the plate, sitting back with a soft sigh of relief. Nick also looked relieved and I knew Antonio and him must have had their own battles with Noah to get him to eat. But my brother was stubborn and I'm sure my father and older brother wouldn't have wanted to push with Noah being so grief-stricken. I guess it was up to me to give him the good kick in the ass that he needed.

Nick got up then and came over to Noah, leaning down and pressing his cheek to Noah's hair. "Good job, buddy," he said softly and when he made sure I was looking at him, he mouthed, "Thank you," to me. I nodded but didn't return his smile. This wasn't over.

"Noah," I said lowly. Nick stood up straight now and watched me as Noah turned to me with a small smile on his face. Making people proud always lifted his spirit, no matter how down he was it seemed. "Noah, I swear that if you ever hurt yourself like this again, I will do more than just castrate you. Understood?" The smile slid off my brother's face and he nodded grimly, knowing that I would keep my word.

Suddenly, Reese jumped from his seat and rounded the table, coming over to me and taking me in his arms. I leaned into his touch, knowing that he still needed to be reassured that I was here. I understood him better than I thought. If Reese had been the one to be taken, I know I either would have lost it and gone on a killing rampage or I would have broken down into a senseless being. I would be lost without my mate and I knew he felt the same way.

We started cleaning the kitchen after that and I learned from Nick that Noah had stopped training as well. Anger flared through me at this, but Noah was quick to reassure me that he would start training this afternoon, adding a quick apology for good measure.

"Don't be sorry to me, Noah. What do you think would happen if you were attacked by a mutt right now? Do you think you would be able to defend yourself?" I asked firmly. Noah looked dutifully ashamed and shook his head, looking down at his feet. I sighed softly and went over to him, wrapping my arms around him as I glanced over at my mate. He nodded for me to go on and telling me that I was doing well. I nodded back slightly, thankful that I had him by my side to help me through this whole leadership thing.

"It's okay, baby. Just don't do it again, please," I said more gently now. Noah, who was taller than me, nodded against my shoulder and I heard him whine softly. I shushed him and pulled back. "Go get changed. You're training with me." It was a direct order and I'd said it without thinking so I quickly looked over at Nick to see what he thought. He grinned and gave me a thumbs up and my mate nodded from the dishwasher.

I turned back to Noah and he nodded at me as well, biting his lip slightly. Suddenly, he pulled me to him and hugged me tightly, cutting off my air for a moment before he let up. "Thank you, Kim. Thank you so much," he murmured, making tears prickle at my eyes, but I pushed them back as I pulled away from Noah, gesturing for him to get a move on. He grinned sheepishly but did as I said.

"Um, Reese, could you give us a moment?" Nick asked as soon as Noah had left. Predictably, my mate growled and brought out his wolf, glaring at Nick. I mentally sighed at my mate's display of territoriality but I knew it was just instinct, though it still annoyed me.

"Reese," I said gently before he forced himself into a dominance match with Nick that he would not win. Reluctantly, he looked over at me, unwillingly giving his submission to Nick. "I'm okay," I smiled and gestured for him to go. He studied me for a moment with searching eyes and then nodded, giving Nick a warning look before following Noah out of the kitchen.

As soon as Reese was gone, Nick visibly relaxed his posture. Reese had been on edge lately because of me and very dominant around me and just like they had been on the look out for my wolf, I knew that they were on the look out for Reese's. No doubt they would both want to protect me and his wolf had probably spent a lot of time close to the surface while I was a wolf, thus bringing out Antonio and Nick's wolves more than usual.

I leaned against the counter as I watched Nick brush a hand through his hair and I knew I was right. They hadn't worried about me only, but about Reese as well. Nick brought his gaze up to meet mine and he studied me for a moment, just like Reese had, but I had no idea what he was looking for.

"Thank you, sweetie," he said simply and then strode over to me, giving me a one armed hug. "We tried everything to get him to eat and fight, to get back the will to live, but he just wasn't cooperating. Thank god we have you to give him a good kick in the ass when we can't." I just shrugged slightly and pulled back away from him, giving him a small smile. I'd do whatever I had to just to help my brothers.

Nick was about to say something else, when we suddenly heard the sound of the garage door. Heavy and light footsteps started making their way towards the kitchen and Nick quickly pulled away and laid a hand on my shoulder, rubbing it gently and murmuring that he was proud of me. I nodded and gave him a small sideways smile before turning to face the door. It was time to face my little brother.

I honestly had no idea why he had been pulling away from me and I only hoped he did it for my sake, probably knowing that I wanted to be alone, though my mate had rarely left me alone while I was a wolf. If not, then I wanted to reconnect with him and soon. I missed him and I knew that he needed me, too, though not as much as Noah did.

Max walked into the kitchen with Antonio just behind him. As soon as my little bother's beautiful eyes fell on me, they darkened and he looked away from me, staring down furiously at the tiled kitchen floor. I stiffened and Nick gripped my shoulder tightly, the smell of his anger reaching me.

"Max," I said softly, trying to get through to him. Unwanted fear rose within me as he ignored my call. I had been accepted so easily by everyone else that I hadn't considered that maybe he wouldn't accept me for what I had done. Before anyone could say anything, Max turned around and walked past Antonio.

"Max," Antonio called, "Come back here." But Max kept walking. I heard him as he made his way up the stairs and his bedroom door close behind him. I bit my lip to stop the threatening tears from falling, looking down at my feet, and heard a soft growl from the doorway. I looked up to see my father looking extremely pissed as he made his way over to me, his wolf gleaming in his eyes.

"Princess," he whispered, catching my chin in his hand and making me look into his warm brown eyes. I blinked hard but it was useless, the tears fell mercilessly down my face. Something I had done had pushed Max away from me, but I had no idea what it was exactly.

Without warning, Antonio pulled me to him, holding me tightly against his firm body as he said, "He just misses you, sweetheart. Give him time and he'll come back around." But I didn't want to give him time. I needed his acceptance now or there was no point in staying here anymore. If he didn't want me here, then I would leave. I couldn't stand to be in this house while he didn't want me. It wasn't the same as when I first came here. I'd had his acceptance and now I'd lost it.

Slowly, I pulled away from my father and wiped away my tears. If there was one thing I had learned during my time here, it was that things needed to be talked out before it got worse. So instead of waiting for the opportune moment like I had when Max and I were still not getting along or waiting for Reese to make the first move instead of just telling him what I felt, I would go to my little brother and sort out the problem or whatever prevented him from facing me.

Without a word, I turned around and went to the counter, grabbing the plates we had set aside for Max and warmed them up in the microwave, silence reining until the beep. Even then no one said a word as I walked out of the kitchen, tray in hand. One way to a werewolf's heart was with food and I came with plenty. Plus, I had dessert.

As I passed the stairs that led down to the basement, I heard Reese and Noah talking lowly. I breathed a sigh of relief and hoped that I resolved the situation with Max before Reese found out. If he knew that Max had turned away from me and ignored me, he would not be happy and that would lead to a fight that I really didn't want. Sometimes I felt that he was a bit too territorial and protective, but I knew that was just the way he was and that it probably had a lot to do with his past. He didn't want to lose me like he'd lost his parents and Daniella had no doubt wounded his wolf. If I ever got my hands on that bitch, she would learn the true meaning of pain.

I knocked on Max's door awkwardly with the tray in hand and waited as patiently as I could. I waited for about a minute when my patience ran out. I turned the doorknob and strode into my little brother's messy room. I sighed in resignation, knowing that no matter how many times I told Max to clean up his room he would never listen to me. Then again, his brothers were no better than him, honestly. Well, Reese was, but only because we practically lived together and he knew how touchy I was about having a clean room. Even while I was a wolf Reese had kept it tidy.

I made a sweep of the room but Max was nowhere in sight, though I could hear the shower running from behind the bathroom door. I sighed again and laid the food down on his desk, navigating slowly through the mess. I swear that from the smell I would say that most of the clothes on the floor were most definitely not clean. After fixing whatever problem Max had with me, I would give him hell for all this.

After leaving the food on his desk, I sat on Max's bed which was, of course, still unmade. I waited anxiously now, my hands fidgeting in my lap as my leg danced to unknown beat. Despite my confidence in thinking that I would fix things with Max, I was still afraid. It took me forever to gain his acceptance and now that I'd lost I felt like I was missing something, a not so small part of my heart was missing. Max and every member of my family had a special place in my heart and Abbey had taken her part with her. Max had as well, but I needed to believe that I could get him back. I needed him more than he knew, I was sure.

Thirty minutes after I had come, by which time the food was already cold, the shower finally turned off and Max emerged in a cloud of vaporized water. He froze when he saw me sitting on his bed. I smiled at him, trying to reassure him, but he didn't see it as he turned around and strode back into the bathroom, his naked form disappearing behind the door.

All of a sudden, all I wanted to do was cry. Why was Max rejecting me? I'd killed and tortured someone, yes, but I knew for a fact that he had too on multiple occasions. So what was pushing him away from him? Didn't he love me anymore? Tears burned at the edge of my eyes at these thoughts and I quickly brushed them away, coming to my feet.

I strode over to the bathroom door and was just about to knock when I heard music start booming from within. I growled lowly to myself but at the same time pushed back tears. I inhaled deeply and forced myself to keep going. I needed to know what was wrong first. I needed to know if this could be fixed. I missed Max so much and just couldn't understand what had changed. Well, I had, but like I said, it was a good change and no one had made any mention of it, not even my mate. It was a me thing, so I couldn't see why Max would be affected by it.

"Max," I shouted and slammed my fist against the door. "Open the freaking door," I roared. I waited for less than a minute before repeating the ritual. After five minutes of screaming and begging for him to open the door, tears were pouring down my face.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder as a deep growl was heard above the sonorous music from within the bathroom. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. I spun around, quickly wiping my tears away and meeting Reese's murderous look, but his eyes weren't on me. They were on the door.

"Don't," I said lowly, laying a hand on his chest and using the other to pull his chin so he was looking at me. His look softened when he saw me, but the wolf in his eyes told me he was beyond pissed. He looked between me and the door and back again as I waited with bated breath for him to relax, my tears falling silently down my face which only seemed to infuriate my mate.

Suddenly, with another deep growl he pulled away from me and slammed his fists against the door. "Max, open the fuck up," he roared. I flinched and tried to stop the river of tears that poured down my face but it was useless.

"Stop," I heard roared from the doorway. I looked over and hiccupped in relief at seeing my father there. He strode in and roughly yanked Reese away from the door when my mate had ignored his order.

"Reese, don't," I screamed when I saw Reese trying to take a swing at Antonio. Whether because he listened to me or because he simply missed, I don't know, but his blow was off target by a few inches, leaving him unbalanced and allowing Antonio to take him down and pin him on the floor. Reese didn't even struggle as he tried to look at me from beneath Antonio, giving me a small smile that clashed oddly with his wolf eyes.

"You know the rules, Reese. There will be no screaming and shouting at one another in my house. Are we clear?" Antonio growled lowly into Reese's ear, the wolf clearly visible in his eyes as well. Reese said that he understood and Antonio let him up. My mate instantly came over to me and I quickly pulled him to me, thankful that he hadn't hit Antonio. That would have been very, very, _very_ bad. Hitting an older and higher ranking Pack member was punishable.

"It's okay," I whispered into his chest, my tears still showing no sign of letting up. Gently, I pulled away from him and noticed Nick and Noah standing in the doorway, Noah dressed in his workout clothes.

"Princess," Antonio said and I turned to face him, Reese moving to stand beside me, his arm wrapped firmly around my waist. I held onto him as well, praying that he had his wolf firmly under wraps. "You and Reese go downstairs with Noah. I'll talk with Max," he said lowly, keeping his wolf eyes on Reese. Thankfully, my mate was in control enough to submit to Antonio's dominant wolf.

I nodded to my father and strode past him, Reese following beside me since he still had me in his grasp. As we passed the door, I grabbed Noah's hand and rubbed it gently, knowing just how much he hated family arguments. I hated them, too. They brought back really ugly memories that I was trying to forget. No, not forget, just move past them.

Silently, I led the boys downstairs and left them in the training room. I went back up and changed into my workout clothes, making a short pit stop in the bathroom to clean up a bit. My face was puffy and red from so much crying, but there was little I could do to fix that. I left my room and heard murmured voices coming from Max's room. I prayed that Antonio could get through to Max. I just didn't know what to do if he wouldn't even look at me.

I ran back downstairs and I was pleased to find Reese's wolf nowhere in sight and my mate visibly much calmer. Noah still looked upset but that changed when he saw me in my workout clothes. He got up from his place beside Reese and strode over to the mat. It was a short but intense training session. I put Noah through his paces and made sure he regretted having not kept up with his training.

My brothers and I trained together often, but we also trained with Antonio and Nick in individual sessions so we could work on our weaknesses. My weakness was of course my size and therefore lack of strength. But it was also my forte in a way. I was more agile and flexible because of my small size which evened the odds when I fought against someone like Antonio or Reese.

Once Noah and I had finished, I turned to Reese who had been watching me intently throughout the entire session. I strode over to him and took his hand in mine, bringing him to his feet. Without a word, I led him over to the punching bag and dropped his hand. He gave me a quizzical look, but I just smiled.

"You spent the last week by my side, Reese. You and I both know you haven't been training either," I smiled and patted the bag beside me. Without warning, Reese lifted me off my feet and pulled me to him, giving me a deep and hungry kiss that made me very thankful that Noah had already left to shower. I pulled away from my mate before the kiss went too far and turned, reassuring my mate that I'd be fine before he could protest, and left the room, only glancing back once to see him shed his shirt to expose his beautifully sculptured body.

I ran upstairs and into my room, hurriedly getting into the shower. As the boiling hot water made contact with my skin, I felt as my muscles twitched and relaxed. I allowed myself to lose myself under the water, my fears and worries disappearing for the entire time I was in the shower. When I came out, though, there was no denying that I was upset. Helping Noah help himself only made me momentarily forget about Max, but now it was all coming back multiplied by ten. And I had no idea what to do. Every time I got near him, he ran in the other direction, leaving me lost and upset. I just missed him so much.

I emerged from the bathroom an hour later, having gone through all the beauty rituals as Nick called them for the first time in almost a week. I strode into my room to find Reese waiting for me, showered and dressed and obviously a lot more relaxed than he'd been an hour ago. Just like I'd thought, hitting something had helped him calm down. Plus, he got in some much need training.

Reese saw me and quickly got up from his bed and came over to me, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tightly against his body as he murmured a soft thank you. I could feel in his hold on me that he still needed reassurance that I really was back and okay. I wanted to give him that reassurance, really wanted to, but I couldn't forget about Max. His rejection was slowly eating away at my heart and it hurt, a lot.

"Princess," I suddenly heard. Reese growled lowly but stopped when I pulled away and gave him a look. He sighed and nodded, wrapping an arm around my waist and standing by my side, marking his territory before the other wolves, as always. At least now I could say that I understood just how difficult it was to rein in the wolf in stressful situations.

I called Antonio in and he strode into the room with his eyes firmly fixed on Reese until my mate gave him his submission. Only then did my father look at me. He gave me a soft smile and gazed at me with tender eyes, letting me know that he still thought I was as fragile as a broken glass.

"Sweetheart, you should go talk to Max. He finally told why he's been running from you," he said softly, shooting Reese a sidewards glance before continuing, "He's afraid of change, sweetheart. He had such a terrible life before and he's so happy now that he has no idea how to deal with change. He's scared that you've changed and that you might not love him anymore."

"No," I whimpered, a million arguments flying to my mouth, but Antonio held up a hand and smiled.

"I know, sweetheart, but like I said, he's afraid. So you should go speak to him as soon as you can," he said and glanced down at my body that was still wrapped in a towel. I nodded and pulled away from Reese's grasp, quickly striding over to my father and hugging him fiercely. Antonio chuckled lightly and rubbed my back, telling me that he loved me. I told him that I loved him as well.

After giving him one last squeeze I pulled away from him and went to get dressed, moving at the speed of light for fear that my mate and father would kill each other and really just wanting to get to my brother. For the whole time that I was pulling my clothes on I had my ears perk for the first sound of fighting, Thankfully, I heard nothing. Or maybe that was a bad thing.

I ran out of my walk-in wardrobe only a few minutes later and was happy to see both men talking in a civilized manner, both their wolves hidden from view. Reese gave me a worried look, but I just smiled at him and left the room, quickly tying my still damp hair into a braid.

I reached Max's door and knocked once, hearing a soft voice speaking from within, so I wasn't surprised when it was Noah's voice that called me in. I opened the door slowly and looked inside to see Noah siting on the bed beside Max with an arm wrapped around him in a comforting gesture. I smiled and nodded at him, pleased with myself and him that he seemed to be back to himself, well, not entirely, but he'd get there and soon, I think.

Max, who hadn't looked at me since I'd walked into the room, glanced at me, only to look back down at his bedspread again. I watched as Noah gave Max's shoulder a squeeze before standing. Slowly, I started walking towards the bed just as Noah made his way out of the room. He smiled at me when he passed by me but said nothing as he closed the door behind me. Without a word, I strode over to Max and sat beside him. He still didn't look at me.

"Sweetheart, look at me," I said gently, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it lightly. I sent a silent thank you to Antonio for helping me understand my little brother. There were times when we understood each like we had been raised together, but sometimes he was as mysterious as the universe.

How could he think that I didn't love him anymore? I had changed, yes, but it was a good change and it would never change the way I felt about my family and Pack. They were my world and my life and I would anything and everything for them. But I also had to remember that Max was sometimes more insecure than me at times and I'd been told by Reese that he had serious abandonment issues.

I saw Max bite his lip nervously as he stared down at the carpet now and I squeezed his hand lightly again, trying to get his attention to no avail. The smell of his anxiety was thick in the air, but I could also pick up a shred of fear. Slowly, so he could see what I was doing, I lifted my free hand and took his chin, gently making him look at me. His sea blue-green eyes looked at me with fear and sadness, making my wolf whine within me.

"I love you, baby," I said softly and watched as surprise lit up his face, as did happiness, but he said nothing so I continued to watch his eyes. His eyes always told me more than what his mouth did. Besides, he often had trouble communicating, so we often focused more on his non-verbal communication instead. "I'm not going to leave you, sweetheart. I have changed," I said gently, seeing and smelling how his fear sparked at my last words, so I quickly ploughed on. "But it's a good change, hun. I understand my wolf a bit better now and I also know that I'm capable of doing whatever I have to do to protect you guys. I know I can do it now, but this doesn't change the way I feel about you or Noah or anyone else. I love you guys and always will, understand?"

Max nodded awkwardly in my hand, seemingly at a lost for words, and I could see tears start to form in his beautiful eyes. Before he could say anything I had him a tight hug, my own tears falling. It was hard to believe that I still had tears to shed. Max returned the embrace full force and I could feel his tears soaking through my shirt, but I said nothing, just kept crying and sobbing against my brother, this time against Max.

"I love you, too, Kim. I missed you so much and I was scared I'd lost you and…," he trailed off into violent sobs and I tried to shush him, but he ploughed on, hiccupping between words. "Everyone was just so worried about you and I felt so alone. And I couldn't protect you against Turner, Kim, and I'm so sorry, so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I said firmly, pulling away from his grasp to look in to his face, making sure he could see my wolf. "It's not your fault that Turner got to me, Max, it's not, okay? It's not your job to protect me. It's my job to protect you. And I'm here now. You don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm not going anywhere," I said, finishing in a softer tone. Max nodded and blinked to clear his tear filled vision, but I quickly pulled him to me, rubbing his back gently as he rubbed mine.

Sometime later, when Max and I had shed enough tears to fill the pool, I heard the door open but I didn't move from within Max's arms. Heavy footsteps walked in and a few seconds later I felt a hand touch my shoulder lightly, allowing me to smell our visitor. My mate sat beside me, keeping a hand on my shoulder, and said, "You two really do cry every time you get together, don't you?"

I chuckled lightly and pulled away from Max, rubbing my sore eyes. Max did the same in front of me but kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with Reese. Without a word, Reese got up and walked over to Max, leaning down and brushing his cheek against our little brother's hair. A wolf's forgiveness that had Max whining and shedding a few more tears. Reese suddenly sat down on Max's other side, pulling him to his chest and whispering that it was okay and that he was here now as well, meaning he'd heard most of, if not all of our conversation. I'd give him hell for that later, but for now I let Reese and Max cement their Pack bonds in peace.

I glanced over at the door and saw Antonio, Nick and Noah there, all of them smiling, but Noah's smile betrayed his inner sadness. Leaving Max in Reese's hands—literally—I went over to Noah and took his hand in mine, leading him away from our family, though they were quick to follow, even Max who was still wiping away stray tears every once in a while.

No one said a word as I guided Noah through the large and silent house since Elena and Jeremy had left shortly after my graveside breakdown once they'd verified that I was mostly okay. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to put myself through that pain again so soon since the wounds were still raw, but I knew that Noah needed to go. He'd gone there by himself a lot, I knew, but I wanted to go with him and I think he needed someone by his side that felt the loss as much as him. I'd lost a sister and him his "mate". Our pain, for good and for bad, would always keep us together.

We stopped by the downstairs closet to put on our shoes, but then we continued our trip in silence. The forest was oddly silent as we walked into it, the sound of twigs snapping sharper than usual among the trees. We reached the clearing where Abbey and Alex's graves were and my insides instantly squirmed uncomfortably. My heart clenched painfully as well, the pain starting to become familiar, and tears watered dangerously at the edge of my eyes. I strode towards Abbey's grave, tugging Noah along by his hand that I still held.

My knees felt weak beneath me, but I was able to reach the grave before they gave way. Noah followed me down and I felt his arms encompassing me as I fell into the dark abyss of pain.

Reese POV

There was little I could do for my mate and that was what pained me most of all. I wished that there was magical spell or potion that would take her hurt away, but there wasn't. Even if there was, whether I would use it or not was beside the point. All I wanted was for her tears to stop cascading down her face without control, just like they had been doing for the better part of the day. Even Noah's pain had my wolf roaring within me, but there just wasn't anything I could except stand by their side whenever they needed me.

I glanced at Antonio whose protective wolf was in full view and was surveying his children with helplessness. Guess he felt just like me. He saw me watching him and I quickly jerked my chin towards Kim, Noah and Max who were all crying in a heap beside me. Kim was hiccupping and Noah was bordering hyperventilation. Antonio nodded and strode over to Max, taking his small form in his arms and taking him back towards the house. Nick did the same with Noah, leaving me with my mate who was now sobbing uncontrollably into my arms instead of Noah's which at least calmed my wolf somewhat.

Gently, I lifted her off the ground and started making my way back towards the house, Kim's tears flowing like a river. Today she'd shown me that she could deal with the pain as long as she had other things to focus on, like helping Noah. Tomorrow I'd try to get her to play and see if that helped ease her pain. She had told me that her music was her therapy and I knew that no matter how much she changed, whether for good or for bad, this would always stay the same. Music was a part of her, almost as much as I was. Almost.


	38. Ch 38 Unbroken

**Please read Max's POV on the situation in SuperNatural1985's one shot titled Strong Part 8.**

_I'd like to thank _**SuperNatural1985** _for her amazing editing skills and for all her help and support! As she has already announced in her story, _**The Way to Live**_, Max will be making appearances throughout this story as one more of the Pack. I encourage you to please read Max's original story in _**The Way In**_, also by SuperNatural1985._

_*Kim has __**now**__ been introduced into SuperNatural1985's _The Way to Live_ and was already featured in _Struggling, Disastrous,It Begins, Broken Bonds, Hurt, Challenge, Aftermath, Werewolf Law 1 _and_ Unacceptable.

**Happy Ending – Mika**

This is the way you left me,

I'm not pretending.  
>No hope, no love, no glory,<br>No Happy Ending.  
>This is the way that we love,<br>Like it's forever.  
>Then live the rest of our life,<br>But not together.

Wake up in the morning, stumble on my life  
>Can't get no love without sacrifice<br>If anything should happen, I guess I wish you well  
>A little bit of heaven, but a little bit of hell<p>

This is the hardest story that I've ever told  
>No hope, no love, no glory<br>Happy endings gone forever more  
>I feel as if I'm wasted<br>And I'm wastin' every day

This is the way you left me,  
>I'm not pretending.<br>No hope, no love, no glory,  
>No Happy Ending.<br>This is the way that we love,  
>Like it's forever.<br>Then live the rest of our life,  
>But not together.<p>

2 o'clock in the morning, something's on my mind  
>Can't get no rest; keep walkin' around<br>If I pretend that nothin' ever went wrong, I can get to my sleep  
>I can think that we just carried on<p>

This is the hardest story that I've ever told  
>No hope, no love, no glory<br>Happy endings gone forever more  
>I feel as if I'm wasted<br>And I'm wastin' every day

This is the way you left me,  
>I'm not pretending.<br>No hope, no love, no glory,  
>No Happy Ending.<br>This is the way that we love,  
>Like it's forever.<br>Then live the rest of our life,  
>But not together.<p>

Ch 38 Unbroken

I stared down at the keys and for the first time in my life my mind was blank. No songs, no notes and no lyrics came to mind. My grief was as raw as it had been two weeks ago, only now I wasn't hiding behind my wolf and I was dealing well with what I had done. Antonio and Jeremy had offered to speak to me about it, but I'd turned them down. It's not that I couldn't talk about it, but I didn't want to with them. I had already given my mate an earful and for now that was enough.

I sighed softly and stood, but Max quickly took my hand and held me in place. I sighed again, a little louder now and gave my little brother a look just as Reese growled from the couch. Max instantly backed down, the determination in his eyes burning bright. I briefly wondered if Max and Reese would always be like this around me, but then decided on forever. They were both just too dominant, especially Reese and especially around me.

"I'm trying, Max. I just don't know what to sing," I said softly and walked away from the piano towards my mate who quickly wrapped an arm around me, pulling me to him. I snuggled into him and looked back at my brother who looked none too happy. A pang of hurt ran through me as I realized that I was disappointing my brother way too much this week.

I had been human for a week now and slowly retaking my life where I had left it. The only thing I hadn't gone back to was the academy. Alex was now officially a missing person, as was Abbey, and I had no idea if I could go face everyone, but that wasn't the only reason why I wasn't going yet. Music was what brought Abbey and me together in the first place, so I knew that the moment I played or sang I would fall into a tearful fit and I would much rather have it at home than at the academy.

I had already tried a hundred times to play something, anything, everyone in the house trying to get me to sing or play, but I couldn't. I just couldn't think of a song that described what I felt. I missed my friend, so much, but other than the regret of having put her in harm's way I only had one other. Just before my performance I had told her all I had ever wanted to tell her and how much she meant to me, but maybe I should have given her the option to continue being my friend with the knowledge of what I really was. She had had the right to know what she was getting herself into. I had no idea if I would have told her if the opportunity had presented itself since it was forbidden to say anything, but now it was a regret I would live with for the rest of my life.

"Come on," I smiled and gestured to my brother, "let's see if we can pass that last level on Uncharted." He hesitated for a moment but then obliged me, standing and coming over to me to take my hand.

"Just promise me that you'll keep trying, Kim," he pleaded, giving me his puppy dog eyes look. I grinned at him and nodded.

"I promise, hon," I said, squeezing his hand tightly as Reese started leading us out of the room. We went straight to the games room and I was just setting the game up when Noah walked into the room. I hadn't even heard him get home. I quickly gave the controller over to Reese and gestured for him to play as I went to greet my brother.

"Hey, sweetie," I grinned, embracing him as tightly as I could while he returned the hug full force, the sounds of shooting and dying playing in the background. When we finally pulled away, I gave him a once over, inwardly smiling at the fact that he had gained back most of his weight. I had made sure that he ate almost double than what he normally ate and had also put him through an intense training routine. With his werewolf metabolism he had quickly gained back the weight he had lost after Abbey's death. The sad truth is, though, that if it weren't for my mate I probably would have lost weight as well.

"How'd your exam go?" I asked as we sat down on the couch together. Reese glanced at us from the other couch he shared with Max but said nothing. Noah and I were close, really close as brother and sister and Pack mates, but he didn't push the limits on our relationship like Max did which is what pissed Reese off, or to be more exact, it pissed his wolf off. Again, I was just really thankful that Max was gay or there would be bloodshed for sure.

"Okay, I think," he said, watching the TV. I sighed softly and shook my head. My brother's insecurity irritated me severely sometimes.

"I'm sure you did great, hon," I murmured, taking his hand in mine and leaning against him. Noah had had a hard two weeks as well, but he was going to school and I wasn't. I guess it wasn't really fair but I knew that I only had a couple of days at the most before the Alpha ordered me to go back to the academy.

Reese and Max were going to school as well, though Reese had much more to catch up on since he skipped out on a lot of classes during my week as a wolf to be with me. As soon as I was human again I gave him a good kick in the ass for being an idiot—though a loving and caring idiot—and sent him off to study. Max, after the misunderstanding once I had Changed back with him believing I was leaving and all, had been treating me like nothing ever happened, except for the small matter of him making it his personal duty to get me to sing again. Reese was pushing me too but not as much since he knew I would sing when I was ready.

We played video games for the next couple of hours, bickering and laughing until it was time to make supper. Noah and I left Reese and Max to their killings and went to go make the meal. It was our turn and I was glad to have some time alone with Noah without Reese hovering nearby. He was still very on edge after the whole Turner incident, but who could blame him?

"Hello, bambinos," I heard Antonio call from behind us as we worked at the island counter. I dropped what I was doing and spun around, going straight over to the man I was proud to call my father. When I reached him he leaned down, allowing me to kiss him on the cheek.

"Hey, dad," I said as I hugged him to me. As I pulled back Nick stalked past us with a tired look on his face and, without so much as hello, he went straight to the fridge, pulling out a beer.

"Long day at the office, I see," Noah chuckled lightly, grabbing a beer for himself. Nick just shrugged and muttered something indecipherable before gulping the beer down. His tie was half undone and his hair looked oddly out of place in its current messy state. Normally, Nick was really picky about such things, but I guess he was too tired to care. Both men had worked until supper time, so it really had been a long day for them.

"Supper's almost ready," I announced, talking more to Nick who was eyeing the food hungrily. "If you can set the table, I'll go get Reese and Max so we can eat." I smiled up at Antonio who grinned back, pulling off his tie and jacket as he headed out the door. I was just about to follow him when Noah stopped me.

"Wait, I'll go get Reese," he said hastily, drying his just washed hands on his jeans and coming to me. I smiled at him and shook my head.

"It's okay, I'll go," I said, watching as Noah shot a nervous glance over at Nick who was deep in conversation with his third beer. Without another word, I took off in search of my mate. The games room was empty, so I followed his scent through the house to the back door. Max had taken off up the stairs where I could hear the shower running in the distance.

I took a moment to put on my shoes and then went outside, stepping into the chilly March night. I blinked for a moment and waited for my night vision to kick in before I set off down the path that took to the guest house. I didn't find it odd that Reese had gone there since he still had most of his possessions there. What was odd was that Noah hadn't wanted me to come out here.

I reached the not so small guest house and walked in without knocking. I froze in the doorway. Boxes upon boxes covered the entrance floor and beyond, random items spaced between them. Walking through the mess, I reached the kitchen counter where I could find photo frames of all kind with pictures of the Pack. There were pictures of Reese and Noah from a time before I had known them, pictures of Reese and Nick, Reese and Nick and Reese and…me.

Ignoring the rest of the photos, I picked up the photo of me and Reese that had been taken on New Year's Eve. Reese was holding me from behind with his arms wrapped around my waist and his head leaning on my shoulder. I had my hands over his arms, smiling shyly at the camera while Reese had a full blown grin on his face.

I stared at the image, tracing us with my fingers. New Year's felt like such a long time ago. So many things had changed since then. The man holding me tightly against him in the photo was no longer the person for which I had fought with my feelings daily to make sure he wouldn't figure out how I felt. Now he was my mate, my lover and partner for the rest of our lives. I had worked through my insecurities and had given myself to him. We were bonded for life, something I had never even dreamed of in my wildest dreams.

"Kim, what are you doing here?" I suddenly heard and jumped, almost dropping the frame. I hadn't heard anyone approaching. I turned to see my mate walk into the kitchen/living room from the bedroom which was a visible mess behind him. He was carrying a box in his hands which he slowly dropped to the floor while I stumbled around searching for my voice.

"I…um…we…supper," I said, putting the picture frame back on the counter with the rest while avoiding Reese's gaze. "Supper's ready," I finally managed to say, only to add, "Why didn't you tell me?" I tried to keep the hurt from my voice, but I don't think I managed it. Yes, we were mates for life and, although I had worked through most of my insecurities, I was still a little unconfident.

"Because I didn't want to pressure you, sweetheart," he said gently, coming over to me as I stared around at the boxes that contained years of memories and mementos. Now I understood. We still hadn't addressed the moving in together issue. "When you're ready we can give it a shot, okay?"

"Where are you going leave it all?" I asked softly, ignoring his last words. He was always waiting for me to be ready. He had waited much too long for me to be ready to be his mate, too long.

After becoming his mate I had thought back on moments when Reese's control over his instincts to claim his mate had been almost readable, at least to me. The night he had brought me here to tell me about the Australian Pack and my father and so many moments more, but I knew that his control was tested to its limits the night he went after Mark. Had that happened after we had mated I knew for certain that Reese would have claimed me the moment he got home. He didn't, of course, so, thinking back on it, I realized how my going to him that night pushed his control to the very limits. I also knew for certain that if he had tried to take me I wouldn't have stopped him.

"My old room," he said simply, instead of saying "his room". It was pretty much his room nowadays and it had been for a while now. The guest house was now what it really was, a guest house.

"But…why?" I whispered, staring back down at the photos and focusing on the one of us, Max and Noah. We were all on the back porch and once again Reese was holding my tightly against him, showing the world who I "belonged" to. This was before the Mark incident as well.

"Because I don't want to be any further away from you than I have to," he said as he wrapped an arm around my waist. I looked up at him and felt tears start to form in my eyes. Without hesitating, I lifted myself on my tip toes and wrapped my arms around his neck, closing my lips on his. He instantly kissed me back possessively, making me lose myself to him until I couldn't breathe anymore.

"Move in with me," I gasped the moment we parted, leaning my forehead against his. I felt Reese tense against me so I quickly kissed him again, trying to prove to him that this is what I wanted.

"Kim, I…," he started to say when are lips parted momentarily, but I shut him up with a deep kiss. I was sick of him always waiting for me. Besides, what was the point in prolonging something that was inevitable?

Once I felt his body relax and felt as he gave into my kiss I pulled back. I had made my point, I think. "You're moving in with me and that's that, Reese Williams. I'll talk to Nick later so we can repaint it and move around the furniture to make more room," I half declared, half ordered. A huge grin suddenly appeared on my mate's face, lighting up the whole room. Slowly, he took a few steps away from me, his hands dropping away from me. His pure blue gaze just stared at me, the grin still painted on his face. I fidgeted under his scrutiny and looked away, feeling the blush bloom on my cheeks.

"You've changed," he said simply into the silence, drawing my eyes back to him. I bit my lip and nodded as I wrapped my arms around myself. Yes, I had changed, but I had changed long before Turner had come along and taken Abbey from me. It felt like a long time ago that I hadn't even dared to sing in front of anyone for fear that they would see who I really was.

"I'm not afraid anymore," I whispered, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'm not so…broken." I opened my eyes just in time to see Reese frown at me before understanding lit up his face. "You helped me heal," I said softly.

Reese was on me before I knew it, forcing me back a couple of steps as he devoured my mouth and I devoured his. Gone was the girl that had feared going this far with a boy. Gone was the girl that had doubted she would ever meet "the one." And gone was the girl that would never have believed that a man like Reese could have been into her. Of course, I still found it hard to believe myself, though I think that any girl waking up beside him would wonder how lucky she got.

"Kim! Reese!" I heard Max's voice call from outside just as Reese hauled me up into the counter, sliding his hands under my top. We ignored the call, but of course, that didn't dissuade our brother. He knocked loudly on the door, shouting, "Food's going to get cold, guys." Sighing, I pulled away from my mate, giving him a look when he growled lowly at the door. Some things would never change it seems.

I hopped off the counter and went to the door, swinging it open. "Oh, shit," he breathed, his face falling the moment the smell of our arousal reached him.

"It's okay, hon. Come on, let's go eat," I grinned with a wink, taking his hand in mine and tugging him towards the house while Reese walked up beside me, muttering something about dessert. I smiled to myself knowing that Max could be forgiven for interrupting us—again—since he was so willing to share the food with us. More often than not, if you were late for a meal in a werewolf house you were left with no food. That Max had come out to get us proved how much he cared for us and respected us. Our brother and sister relationship was more proof of how far I had come. Max had a very long way as well. He had experienced his own change since I had arrived.

Supper was a silent affair as it was custom for werewolves. It was Reese and Nick's turn to clean up and I was just about to relieve Nick of his duties so I could talk to my mate about the living situation when Antonio asked me to go with him to his study. Curious, I followed him without a word. If he wanted to speak in his study, it was either a private matter or an important one or both.

"Princess," he smiled as soon as we were seated at his desk. He crossed his strong arms on the table and gazed at me, much the same way Reese had looked at me as well. "I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you," he eventually said, a sad smile coming to his lips. "When we first met I had promised myself that I would help you on your way to becoming both a werewolf and a woman. And as I look at the beautiful young woman before me, I know that I succeeded, but I didn't do it alone."

"All I needed was someone to care," I whispered, remembering what he had said so long ago. "And a family that loved me and believed in me." I felt tears threaten but I pushed them back. Even if they were tears of happiness I needed to get over crying so much, though when I was with someone that was crying I doubted that I would be able to stop myself.

Antonio smiled at me from across the desk and without a word he opened a drawer beside him and extracted a large envelope. Silently, he pushed it towards me and sat back in his chair. I stared down at the yellow envelope, hoping that it was what I thought it was. With trembling hands I opened it and let the contents fall onto the desk, déjà vu instantly washing over me. It felt like my first day here at Sorrentino Estate.

I stared down at the objects before me, unable to hold back the tears now. Credit cards, passport, ID card, everything that had and would ever carry my name was before me. Except they no longer read Kimberly Anne Vera. I was Kimberly Anne Sorrentino. Jumping from my chair, I ran over to Antonio and hugged him, falling onto his lap. He chuckled softly as I thanked him, happiness coursing through me.

"You're part of my family, _principessa_, but you don't need these documents to know that," he said gently as he stroked my back with his hands. I nodded into his chest, knowing that he was right. Family wasn't a feeling that could be written on a piece of paper.

Reese POV

As I watched my mate study the colour pallets I couldn't help but think how much my life had changed since I met my Kim. After arriving here to the States I had gone on a prolonged celibacy. I just hadn't been ready for sex or dating after what I had been through. Even though I had been slowly getting back into all of it shortly before meeting Kim, she broke through all of the walls I had placed around myself to protect myself.

In Kim I found the perfect partner in every way possible. She was strong minded and was more than up to the duty that fell on her for being my mate. She was a born leader in my opinion and she accepted the position without complaint. Kim loved her brothers and would do anything for them and I mean anything. She was also physically strong, strong enough to take me down if I lost it. She was amazingly generous, always giving without asking for anything in return. And, of course, we were sexually compatible.

"Blue," Kim said suddenly, pointing at one of the dark blues on the pallet she was holding.

"A bit dark, isn't it?" I said gently, trying not to upset her or anger her. She had quite a temper when she wanted to. But she just rolled her eyes as if frustrated that I hadn't understood which I obviously hadn't.

"We're only going to paint one wall dark blue, the others will either be a sandy colour or a light grey," she said, looking down at the lighters colours on a different pallet. She suddenly tensed and looked up at me biting her lower lip. "Unless you don't want that…," she said slowly. I grinned at her and shook my head.

"Whatever you think is best, _amor_. You and Nick understand this whole decoration thing better than I do," I said, making my mate smile again. She was still insecure about herself, though she had come a long way from when we first met. I would make sure to grow her confidence even more, though.

"I like dark blue if you do, sweetheart." For some reason that made her blush furiously, her gaze falling from mine to the pallets in her lap. "Kim?" I said gently, laying a hand on her thigh. I saw her bite her lip before she looked up at me, her eyes indecipherable.

"I really like dark blue, especially this one," she whispered, pointing down at the blue again. I nodded and waited for to keep going. She would tell me eventually, all I had to do was wait for her to work through her insecurity to tell me. "It, um, reminds me of your eyes," she said in an almost inaudible whisper.

"Sweetheart," I groaned and stood, going over to sit beside her and pulling her onto my lap. She let me move her and rested her head on my shoulder, gently nuzzling my neck, but I pulled back so I could look her in the eyes. "You're amazing," I said simply. She smiled shyly and leaned into my neck again. I would have made love to her right then and there to reinforce her confidence, but that would have to wait for now.

"So," I said and grabbed the pallet she had been looking at, "what are we going to put the blue with?"

We ended up choosing a light grey and once that was settled, we went to the guest house and grabbed a few boxes, taking them upstairs to _our_ bedroom. Thankfully her walk-in wardrobe was as big as a room, so all we had to do was move a few things around and there was more than enough room for my things. Not that I had many things anyway. Nick and Antonio had tried to spoil me just like everyone else and they mostly succeeded, but every time they got me something just to spoil me it was a painful reminder of how my parents had spoiled their only child.

We had been moving things around for about an hour when I found it. I was emptying out one of Kim's underwear drawer the contents of which could go elsewhere she said when I found several pieces of music paper hidden inside. I pulled them out and stared down at them. I might not be able to read music but I could definitely read the lyrics.

"Kim," I said and turned around. Kim, who had been moving her underwear to its new location, turned to face me. "What's this?" Her face fell and a blush blossomed on her cheeks, deepening by the second.

"I…um…that's a…," she stuttered, looking at anything and everything but at me. I strode forward and placed a finger over her lips, silencing her instantly.

"It's okay, _amor_, I just wanted to know why you wrote this. It's…heartbreaking," I said gently, removing my finger. Sighing softly in relief, she gazed into my eyes and bit her lip nervously. I could have backed off and told her that it was fine and that I didn't need to know, but I _did_ need to know.

The song spoke about the sadness she felt because she would never be able to be with someone because he was leaving and he didn't want her. That was the gist of it anyway. I knew how Kim thought and I could read through the lines. I knew she had felt like this before we became mates, but I had never thought she had felt so lonely and helpless.

"I…I wrote it the night you went after Mark, while I was waiting to know what they were going to do to you," she said, for once keeping her eyes on me instead of averted. We were progressing on this, at least. "I was just so scared that night. I had no idea what they were going to do to you and I—"

I cut her off with a swift kiss that had her tripping back against the wall where I pressed my body against hers, holding her there. The tension quickly left her body and I could soon smell her arousal growing, intertwining with my own.

"I'm never going to leave you, Kim, never. I love you so, so much," I whispered into her neck, inhaling her sweet scent which was an explosive cocktail for my arousal. "Nothing will ever, ever change the way I feel about you."

"I know," she said and quickly added, "I know that now." She sighed softly and I pulled away to look her in the eyes. She lifted a hand and touched my hair lightly. "You don't know how far away from me you felt back then, Reese. To have you was a hope I hadn't even dared to dream."

I kissed her again, harder this time. If only I had known how she had felt. I had known that she wanted me, but I hadn't known how much she was suffering. I had waited because I had wanted her to be ready before I told her that my wolf had mated me to her, but now I could see that she had always been ready and that by waiting all I had done was hurt us both which would explain why Max and everyone had been so insistent about us being together. I'd thank them later.

"I love you," my Kim moaned when we parted for air. I groaned and was just about to forgo the surprise I had in store for her when someone knocked on the door. I growled lowly and Kim sighed as she pushed me back, brushing her hair away from her face. She called for whoever it was to come in and in came Noah and Max.

"Hey," Noah grinned, his nostrils flaring as he caught the smell of our arousal. He gave me a look and shook his head. He knew I really wanted to give Kim a surprise, but he also knew how difficult this was on us, even if Kim didn't know it yet.

"Can we help, Kim?" Max asked as he went over to Kim who was picking up some of the clothes off the floor. She tensed at Max's question and bit her lip, looking over at me for help. She didn't like lying or throwing people out of her room, so she was stuck.

"We would rather do this alone, guys," I said, preferring to go with the truth since Kim would be upset if I lied to the boys. Noah grinned at me and sent me a thumbs up from the doorway before leaving. Max, on the other hand, gave Kim a quick peck on the lips before escaping my wrath.

Kim sighed at my growl and muttered something inaudible as she bent down and started folding the last of the clothes. I honestly didn't mind that Kim and Max were close. She was close to Noah as well. What I did mind was that he liked to push the limits on their relationship, something neither I nor my wolf liked one bit. But I have to say that had it been Noah who was crossing the line I would have exploded long ago. Max was gay and wasn't really a threat, but he was still trespassing on my territory. Kim understood that, but it ticked her off that we played these dominance games daily.

Without a word, I strode over to her and kneeled beside her, pulling her into my arms and engulfing her with my scent. This always helped when I felt my territory had been trespassed. Kim snuggled into my chest with a soft sigh, breathing slowly. I may have hurt us both with waiting, but I didn't regret it. What was done is done, and everything worked out in the end. I had my brothers, my family, my Pack and, most importantly, my mate and that was all I really needed.

Kim POV

I jumped aside as blue paint flew past me and hit the wall behind me. I spun out of the way of another shot and drove my hand into the paint bucket, bringing it out and flicking it towards Reese, hitting him square in the face. I chuckled and tried to move back just as Reese tackled me, sending us onto the newspaper-covered floor. Shrieking, I tried to get out from beneath him to no avail.

Reese grinned down at me with his beautiful smile, his eyes dancing with laughter as he pinned my hands over my head. "No," I cried, but it was too late. Using one hand to hold mine above my head, he used his free hand to paint my face and, because I was squirming, my hair.

"You did not just paint my hair," I growled, making him chuckle loudly. Without warning, he brought his lips down on mine, kissing me hard. I groaned as he grinded against me, my arousal already high from our play fighting with the paint and, from what I could feel, so was his. Of course, he had been keeping me hungry for four days now, so that might have something to do with our growing need to be together.

I heard the door open eventually but I didn't look up. Reese still had a firm hold on my wrists and was using his free hand to explore my body while his lips locked onto mine. It wasn't until I heard a sigh did Reese pull back to glare up at the intruder. I lifted my head and saw an upside down version of Nick, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the wall Reese and I had started to paint.

"When were you guys planning on finishing it exactly?" he asked in an exasperated tone. I glanced at the wall and realized that we hadn't even made it to the halfway point; paint splattered awkwardly where our war had begun. Oops. It wasn't my fault, though. Reese was the one provoking me with his tight tee and jeans.

Reese got off of me then and helped me up, quickly pulling me to him for a quick kiss. I turned around and took a good look at the room. I was very thankful of the fact that the floor wasn't the only thing we had covered with plastic. Blue paint sprinkled the plastic cover we had placed over the bed and there was even some on the plastic that covered the wardrobe.

Nick walked over to the wall and sighed again, louder this time. "I'll call the painters. I'm sure they can have it done by late afternoon," he said, pulling his phone out as he made his way out of the room. He stopped at the door and turned towards us, saying, "Max and Noah wanted to go on a run after lunch, I think. You guys should go with them." After giving Reese a stern look he took off, closing the door behind him.

I sighed and strode over to the window seat, sitting over the plastic cover. "He's right, you know," I said, giving Reese a look. "You know I trust you and if you asked me to wait for my Change, I'll wait until you tell me, but it's been a week, Reese." It had been a week since we had both Changed and four days since we had had sex. The tension in my body was starting to get painful, the Change threatening to come the moment I let my control slip, something neither Antonio nor Nick agreed with.

Reese smiled apologetically to me and came over, taking my arm in his and feeling the tight tendons pulling beneath the skin. "I haven't gone this long without a Change before," I said softly, flexing my hand to tense out the muscles a bit.

"Okay," he said and without warning he took me in his arms and carried me from the room. I said nothing as he took me down the hall and into his old room, closing the door behind us and laying us on the bed. "I promise you the wait will be worth it," he whispered into me ear as he lied over me, pressing his body against mine as he started to nibble down my neck.

He was right. The wait was totally worth it, both the wait for our Change and our having sex. The tension our bodies built up when we forestalled our Change made for really great and intense sex, apparently. I could imagine why Reese knew this, but I didn't dwell on it. There was no use dwelling on the past, really.

Several hours later, by which time we had missed lunch, we emerged from the bedroom after having a hot and not so short shower. We went straight downstairs to the kitchen and ate until we could no more. Once we had eaten enough for a dozen people, we left in search of our brothers. Unsurprisingly, we found them in the games room.

"Guys, want to go on a run?" Reese asked as we stepped into the room. Noah paused the game and stood, smiling widely as he came over to us. Max stood as well and quickly came over to me, taking my hand as we started heading towards the backyard.

"Can we try again in the afternoon, Kim?" Max asked as the back door closed behind us. I inwardly sighed but nodded. I knew I needed to sing and I would do it if it would make Max stop worrying about me. But what would I sing? What song would let me express my regret for not having told Abbey the truth and yet let the world know that I missed her but I was letting her go?

As we reached the forest edge I picked up recent trails of familiar scents and smiled to myself. I glanced at Reese and I could see that he had smelt it as well. Noah and Max, however, still needed to learn how to use their noses. I was about to go in search of a bush to Change when two figures appeared in front of us, one taking Max down and the other taking Noah to the ground, landing on some thick underbrush.

"Dad," Max shrieked as Antonio started tickling his sides. I laughed and jumped out of the way when Reese tried to take me to the ground as well. I hear Noah shriek as well as Nick attacked him on the other side.

Suddenly, Reese tackled me and sent us flying to the forest floor. I growled up at him as he tried to pin me and struggled beneath him, trying to get the upper hand. But before I could do more than free a hand, he leaned down and kissed me, ignoring the fact that we weren't alone.

"Reese," I gasped when he pulled away to grin down at me. His smile faltered when he saw my face. Reese was a romantic and as such he thought the romantic thing to do was show his love for me in front of others. I wasn't so sure, though. I just wasn't all for the whole public displays of affection, even if it was just in front of our family.

"I'm sorry, _amor_," he whispered and leaned down to nuzzle my neck. I told him that it was okay as I threaded my hand through his hair, knowing that he hadn't done it intentionally. He just loved me too much to care what others thought. I didn't care what others though either, but it just made me uncomfortable. My past haunting me in a way I really wished it didn't.

A throat cleared beside us and Reese sat up, letting me see Nick looking down on us as he shook his head in mock-dismay. "Didn't you guys have enough this morning?" he grinned, failing to hide his intention. He tackled Reese and they fell with an almighty crash to the ground. I chuckled as I watched them struggle and shook my head. Boys.

I stood and looked around at the makeshift battleground that we had made and saw Antonio taking on both of my brothers. Of course, my father was winning. As silently as I could I made my way out of the battlefield and took off down the path. Once I was comfortably far way enough from my family, I ducked behind a large bush, stripped and started the Change.

When it was over, I collapsed onto the ground and waited for the last remnants of pain to pass while I rested. The Change had come easily since it had been a week since I had Changed, but it was still painful. It would always be painful, but it was worth it. To spend time as a wolf had no price, not even pain. Elena had once said that it was like giving childbirth, but I guess I wouldn't know that for years to come.

Slowly, I stood and sniffed, hearing as other members of my Pack finished off their Change. I followed the sounds of the grunts closest to me to the place where my mate was Changing. I whined softly to tell him that I was here and for him to hurry up. I wanted to play.

I sat and stood guard while Reese Changed and when the sounds of his pain stopped I poked my muzzle in. When he didn't react I put my whole head into the bush and saw my mate lying on the ground, panting heavily. I strode over to him and nuzzled his neck, greeting my wolf mate before licking him in an affectionate gesture. He whined softly and then stood on wobbly limbs, turning to lick me back.

Suddenly, a howl rang though the trees instantly calling to us. I jumped forward with Reese hot on my heels and together we barrelled through the woods towards the source of the howl. Antonio was calling his Pack to him. The forest flew beneath me as I ran and the trees blurred beside me. I grunted as I almost tripped in a dip on the ground but I kept running, relishing in the feel of the wind coursing through my fur.

Eventually, we burst into the clearing where our family awaited, Max and Noah tumbling in a fight to our right while Nick nipped Antonio and the jumped back in case of retaliation, repeating the process while Antonio waited patiently for us to arrive. I huffed and strode over to the boys, growling as I pushed Noah off of Max with my muzzle. Instantly, they stopped fighting and stood, watching Antonio for instruction. Antonio took off suddenly, ignoring Nick's continued playfulness, and we all followed him, our leader and carer.

Together as a Pack we set off in search of prey which we found a while later grazing in a large clearing. With no apparent signal, we bounded forward splitting into two groups. Max, Reese and I took down one of the five deer that had been eating while the other took down another, slightly larger one. Reese was as protective as always in wolf form so he made sure to keep Max and me out of harm's way, though that didn't stop me from landing the final blow and killing the frightened animal.

The bodies were then dragged to a nearby clearing as always and we all rushed to our respective kills, digging in. Sometimes we followed Pack hierarchy, sometimes we didn't. Today we didn't, mostly because there was more than enough food for all of us. I growled lowly at my mate when he came too close to my side of the food and he growled back playfully, pretending to come closer to my side again, but a nip in the ear from me stopped his attempts at playing.

As soon as we had all had our fair share we left for another clearing where the smell of the rotting corpse wouldn't bother us. I went for Max and Reese went for Noah, pinning them down while we cleaned them. Max squirmed beneath me, whining softly as he told me that he did not like the cleaning process one bit. I growled at him, telling him to let me do my job. Once I was done, though, Max came at me and licked me clean despite my grunts of protests.

Eventually, after all my brother's fussing, we were all sparkling clean. We gathered together in the middle of the clearing, falling into Pack hierarchy now that safety was the matter at hand. Noah and Max lied together in the middle in the glade while Reese and I took up positions on either side of them and Antonio and Nick covered us from the back and front. Some things would never change and this was definitely one of them. No matter what happened, we would always protect the younger wolves.

* * *

><p>My body shook with laughter as I watched my family fight. No, for once it wasn't a tickle fest, it was a wrestling match, and while I could play with them I didn't really feel like it. Not today, at least. An unsettling feeling was eating at my insides and as I watched my family tumble and play, Antonio and Nick teaming up against my three brothers, I realized what was wrong.<p>

It had been over five months since I was bitten, five months in which my whole life had been turned upside down. I had grown as a person, healing within until the point where I could hardly remember what it felt like to be broken. But I had been broken for so long that it was hard to believe that I had completely healed, and yet, looking at my family and feeling the happiness coarse through me told me that I really had healed.

With Turner gone, the person that had started it all, it felt like my life was reaching the end of a cycle. I had a place in the Pack, a family that loved me and a mate that I cherished. I had wonderful and caring brothers, an overprotective father and a territorial and yet amazing lover. Five months ago I would never have thought it possible for me to have any of these things.

This wasn't the end of something, though, it was the beginning. I had lost a friend and a sister and I knew I would carry the grief with me for the rest of my life. I had learned the price of my new life the hard way, but now I knew how to avoid making the same mistake again. Now I could rise to the height of my rank and use my experience to protect my brothers no matter what happened. I was starting to understand what the title of leader entailed.

Without warning, I jumped up and started heading towards the house. Someone called me back but I kept going. I finally had a song in my head and I couldn't stop. I needed to play it and now. It was so perfect that I wondered how I hadn't thought of it earlier.

I heard my family catch up to me eventually and Reese asked me what was wrong. I just shook my head and kept walking. I just couldn't explain the need I suddenly felt to play this song. I felt the grief start building up as the words played in my head, but I forced back the tears. First play and sing, and then I could breakdown.

When we reached the place where our clothes were, I took thirty seconds to dress and then took off again, still pulling on some clothing items and forgoing the shoes. I could hear my family speaking around me, though they were trying to keep quiet, but I ignored them. I was too focused on my destination to care about was being said in that moment.

I ran into the house and went straight to the music room, clambering awkwardly into the piano seat. Reese sat beside me and I could feel his and everyone else's eyes on me. I waited for them to stop moving around and pressed my fingers to the keys. Closing my eyes, I let the grief take over, letting it flow through me painfully as it led my fingers to play _Happy Ending_ by Mika. This is for you, Abbey.

Tears rained down onto the keys before I had finished, but I kept playing and singing until I hit the last note. As soon as I stopped Reese wrapped me in his arms and held me as my emotions broke loose. I had had a few breakdowns throughout the weeks, my grief sometimes getting the better of me, but right then it felt ten times worse. I could feel myself letting go of Abbey. I would never forget her and she would always be the sister that saved me, but I needed to move forward.

Moving forward, though, also meant letting go of my _other_ family. They were a part of who I was as well, but I needed to let them go. I would not let my past define me and they were my past. I was no longer the broken daughter that had once lived with them. I would grieve the thought of seeing my sister again. She did nothing to make me who I was and who I became because of my mother and stepfather, but for her safety I needed to stay far away from her.

"Kim," I heard a soft voice call and I pulled away from my mate to see Max standing beside me with Noah just behind him. Before I could say anything he pulled me to him, hugging me fiercely as Noah joined us.

"That was beautiful, princess," my father said and I felt as he kissed the top of my head. I nodded against Max's shoulder and then pulled back, looking around at my family. My _family_. I finally had a family that loved me and that cared about me and that I would do anything for.

"Max," I said suddenly and stood, wiping away the last few tears. No more dwelling on what was done. This was it. This is my life now and I was going to hold onto it with everything I had. "Call Addison and see if he can come over. I want to start working on my Julliard audition," I ordered. Max grinned widely at me and took off, Noah following him. Seconds later I heard as they began a wrestling match just outside the music room.

I sighed and shook my head. Boys really would always be boys. Reese took my hand then and started leading me out of the room. We passed Antonio and Nick who both grinned at me with their trademark smiles, betraying their father and son relation.

My mate and I strode from the room to find Max and Noah laughing as the tumbled on the marble floor. I turned to Reese and smiled up at him. He grinned back and leaned down, kissing me lightly on the lips. I had come a long way from who I had been before being bitten, but it was time to let go of the past and look towards the future. This wasn't the end, though. It was just the beginning.

The End

* * *

><p>AN: First of all, I want to thank everyone who took the time to review and for all the support. It is much appreciated, as always!

Secondly, Kim has come a long way since the story began and I feel like her story has only just begun, so I am happy to announce that I will be writing another story for after Fearless titled _Reawakened_ in which I will be introducing Kim into the greater supernatural world.

Again, a big thank you to all and you can of course keep following Kim's story in _Fearless_.


	39. Author's Note

Hello everyone,

I know I have not showed any signs of life in the past few months, but I wanted to put up this update to assure you all that I am still here and still writing. Right now I am working on re-writing Kim's original story. I have reworked it and have created a new and stronger Kim which I'm sure you will all love as much as the original Kim.

By the end of The Way In: Defiance, by **SuperNatural1985**, Kim will be making her first appearance, so I encourage you all to please read that amazing story.

I still have many more stories to tell, so it will be a while before I say goodbye.

Watch out for _Enraptured_.

Happy holidays!

SheWolf13


	40. Author's Note 1

Hi everyone,

Firstly I want to send out a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story and for giving me the encouragement to keep on writing.

Secondly, I wanted to address the issue of Mark as some of the reviewers have pointed out. Yes, he is indeed bitten by Kim. It is something that I completely missed, so _mea culpa_. If I had continued with a sequel of _Unbroken_ I would have mended the error easily enough by adding Mark into the twist. However, now that I have begun with _**Enraptured**_, the point is moot.

Thank you to everyone!

SheWolf13


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